A sharp rise in the number of young people reporting that their health limits their ability to work, who are also not in education, employment and training (NEET) is affecting the lives and potential of hundreds of thousands of young people, according to new analysis from the Health Foundation.
Between 2015 and 2025, the share of NEET young people reporting a work-limiting health condition rose from 26% to 44% – a 70% increase in just a decade. In 2025, mental health conditions and autism accounted for more than two-thirds of NEET young people who said poor health is a barrier to them working.
The rise in reported ill-health among young people, coupled with a weaker labour market, sits behind a sharp increase in the numbers who are out of work and education. Past increases in the share of young people reporting work-limiting health conditions had partially been offset by an accompanying improvement in employment rates.
In 2025, around one in three 16–24-year-olds with a work-limiting health condition were not earning or learning. This group now represents a greater share of all NEET young people. In contrast, around one in ten 16-24-year-olds without these conditions were not earning or learning.
The trend of rising ill-health is not limited to NEET young people. It reflects a broader shift among young adults generally, including those in work and education. Over the past decade, the share of all 16-24-year-olds reporting a work-limiting health condition rose from 9% to 16%, a 78% increase.
The growth in young people reporting health conditions likely reflects greater awareness and improved diagnosis rates, particularly for mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions. It may also reflect more young people seeking financial and practical support, such as through schools or the welfare system, which prompts them to seek a diagnosis and report that their health is limiting their ability to work or study.
Recent Office for National Statistics figures showed that by the end of 2025, there were nearly 240,000 additional NEET young people compared with the same period in 2021, a 33% rise.
Spending long periods out of work and education can have lasting consequences for a young person’s health, job prospects and earnings. With more NEET young people reporting health conditions that limit their ability to work than in previous years, there is a risk that these individuals face longer spells out of work, leading to even greater consequences for their future health and earnings. High numbers of young people out of work and education also places further pressure on public finances and could undermine long‑term economic growth.
The Health Foundation urges the forthcoming independent review of young people and work, led by Alan Milburn, to make overcoming these health barriers central to its policy agenda.
This means combining early intervention with health and practical support to prevent young people from falling out of education or employment in the first place, alongside the creation of supported, suitable pathways back into learning and employment for those already out of work or education.
Expanding the government’s Youth Guarantee scheme to fund more paid work and training placements across the public and private sectors would be an ambitious approach to help more young people gain a foothold in the workforce. Evidence from previous schemes suggests this can deliver long-term benefits for both individuals and the taxpayer.
Sam Atwell, Policy and Research Manager, Healthy Lives Team at the Health Foundation, said:
‘There’s been a lot of attention on the growing number of young people who are neither learning nor earning. But our analysis shows the problem runs deeper. More NEET young people are reporting health problems, potentially putting this generation at even greater risk of harm to their future opportunities.
‘This changing health landscape means yesterday’s solutions might not be enough for today’s young people. If we want young people to have a brighter future, we need a significant shift towards prevention and additional practical and health support for the growing numbers that are reporting barriers to work.’
