(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 12 LUG - The share of people aged 15-24 neither in employment nor in education and training, the so-called 'NEET', is significantly decreasing in Europe, but it remains very high in some countries, including Macedonia and Montenegro, still not part of EU, but also in Cyprus, Bulgaria, Greece, Croatia and Romania, data published by Eurostat show today.

In the first quarter of 2018, Macedonia registered the highest share of 'NEET' among countries in Europe for which data are available, with 25.1% of the population aged 15-24 not employed or engaged in education or training. In the Balkans, also Montenegro registered a significant share of NEET, with 16% (-1.8% compared with the previous quarter).

At EU level, Italy registered the highest NEET rate (19.1%), followed by Cyprus (15.6%), Bulgaria (15.0%), Greece (14.6%), Croatia (14.1%), Romania (14%). The lowest NEET rate in the EU for the first quarter of 2018 was observed in the Netherlands (4.1%), the Czech Republic (5.7%) and Sweden (6.2%).

Currently, the average NEET rate in the EU is estimated at 10.6%, "the lowest since the series began in the first quarter of 2006," Eurostat noted. (ANSA).