However, they are slightly lower – 0.4% – than the same period last year.
The ONS said the increase in Neets was driven by a growing number of young women who are out of work.
Some 12.2% of young women were Neet at the end of 2025, which is higher than the previous quarter. But the number of young male Neets dropped slightly in the same period.
A young person is considered Neet if they are unemployed (looking for work) or economically inactive (not actively looking for work and not waiting to start a job or caring for family).
The number of unemployed Neets rose by 12.3% from the previous quarter, while the number of economically inactive Neets fell 6.6%.
Someone in formal education, such as school or university, doing an apprenticeship or vocational course, is not considered to be Neet.