Over 50 Per Cent Of Young Indian Women Not In Education, Employment or Training: NSSO Report

The latest Multiple Indicator Survey (MIS) report from India's National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) has revealed that almost one in three young Indians aged between 15 and 29 are not in education, employment or training (NEET). The figures are even worse for women, with 51.7 per cent of young women in this age group falling into the NEET category, compared to just 15.4 per cent of young men. The data was collected from over 2.76 lakh households in 2021 and is part of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, which aims to tackle global issues such as poverty, education and gender inequality.

According to the report, the primary reason for the gender gap in NEET numbers is due to the burden of unpaid domestic labour that falls disproportionately on women. Almost 90 per cent of NEET young women reported that they were attending to domestic duties during the seven days before the survey.

India's NEET figures are significantly higher than the global average of 22 per cent cited by the United Nations. The 15-29 age group makes up more than a quarter of India's population, and the country may struggle to leverage its so-called ‘demographic dividend’ if these NEET figures persist.