World Bank warns of a widening jobs gap for young people

The World Bank projects that 1.2 billion young people in developing countries will reach working age over the next 10 to 15 years, while current trends point to only 400 million new jobs. That leaves an estimated gap of about 800 million, World Bank President Ajay Banga said at the IMF and World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok.

The estimate does not mean 800 million young people are unemployed now or that they will all certainly be without work. It signals that job opportunities could fall short of the number of people entering working age if current economic trends continue.

The bank is seeking to attract more private capital alongside public funding. Banga said joint financing work with other multilateral development banks has tripled over the past two years. The portfolio under review covers about 250 projects and $138 billion in financing needs, not funds already approved or earmarked directly for youth employment.

Banga also said the World Bank Group had reduced project preparation time from 19 months to nine. In fiscal 2026, it mobilized $112 billion in private capital and reported $230 billion in total financing, figures that cover its broader development work rather than youth jobs alone.