Youth Outcomes

High school completion improving: Canada’s overall secondary school graduation rate has been rising steadily, with dropout rates falling and the long-term share of adults without an upper-secondary credential dropping to around 8%.
Post-secondary engagement rising: Among people aged 18-24, the participation rate in formal education reached 49% in 2024-25, up from about 47% a decade earlier.
Youth not in employment/education/training (NEET) at a relatively low level: As of 2024 about 10.8% of youth aged 15-29 were classified as NEET (not in employment, education or training), showing a fairly strong baseline despite recent labour-market pressures.
Strong transition supports: Federal youth employment and skills programs report that participants earn significantly more in the first and second years after participation than comparable peers.
Pathway-program results: Targeted supports (for example programs helping at-risk youth complete high school) have shown measurable improvements in graduation rates.
Education-to-work connection strengthening: Reports show that while youth employment is challenged, work-integrated learning (co-ops, apprenticeships, internships) is shown to boost long-term employment odds for young Canadians, improving alignment between skills and job market needs.
Regional gains in education participation: Provinces such as Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia have seen education-participation rate increases of 5 to 6 percentage points among 18-24 year-olds over the past decade, showing broad-based improvement.
Labour-market resilience despite youth challenges: While youth unemployment is higher than for older groups (a challenge to monitor), Canada’s educational infrastructure and youth-targeting programs mean that many younger Canadians are still building the foundations for long-term success rather than being left behind.

Footnotes