A total 49,2% of Zimbabwe's youth population is Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET), the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat) data has revealed.

The stats agency data contained in the Second Quarter Labour Force Survey (QLFS) says 49, 2% of youths aged between 15 to 35 years fall under the NEET category. Females are the worst affected with 57, 4% compared to 40,4% men under the bracket.

The worst affected province during the period was Mashonaland Central with a rate of 58, 1% followed by Matabeleland North at 53, 8% and Matabeleland South at 52,4%. Bulawayo Province had the lowest rate at 38,5%.

The data shows that across the provinces, female youths are the worst affected after scoring much higher percentages than their male counterparts. Proportions of youth not in education, employment or training (NEET) for the age group 15-24 years, was 38.5 percent in Bulawayo province and 46.0 percent in Masvingo province.

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The United Nations Population Fund has since reported that Zimbabwe is likely to miss its opportunity to derive the demographic dividend (DD) from its youthful population.

DD - refers to the temporary economic benefits that can arise from a significant increase in that can arise from a significant increase in the ratio of working age adults as a result of rapid fertility decline. The first demographic dividend opened before 1990 and reached a peak in 2013 and is now in the diminishing returns phase.

According to the report, the expanded Unemployment Rate for the country stood at 37,1% , with youth in the 15 to 24 age band being hardest hit at 58,2% and those between 15 to 35 standing at 46,1%.

The unemployment rate for Midlands province was 21.8 percent. Female unemployment rate for the province was 20.8 percent while the male unemployment rate was 23.3 percent.

The unemployment rate for persons with at least one form of functional disability was 23.8 percent.