Overview
- Azim Premji University’s State of Working India 2026 reports unemployment near 40% for graduates aged 15–25 and about 20% for those 25–29.
- Around 11 million of 63 million graduates aged 20–29 were unemployed in 2023, and only about 6–7% secured permanent salaried roles within a year of graduation.
- Between 2021–22 and 2023–24, India added roughly 83 million jobs, with about 40 million in agriculture and women accounting for a large share of these gains.
- Higher education access expanded markedly but faculty shortages and high student–teacher ratios persist, while a rapid rise in ITIs has been accompanied by declining quality.
- More young men are leaving education to support household incomes, and the working‑age share is projected to begin declining after 2030, intensifying the need for quality job creation.