The Health Foundation found a 70% rise from 26% to 44% in the share of NEET young people reporting a work-limiting health condition between 2015 and 2025.

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.'

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.

Around one in three 16–24-year-olds with a work-limiting health condition were not earning or learning, with this group now representing 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.

In addition, the share of all 16-24-year-olds reporting a work-limiting health condition rose from 9% to 16%, a 78% increase, over the past decade.

The Health Foundation called on former health secretary Alan Milburn, to make overcoming these health barriers central to his review announced in November 2025 into what is causing the rise in NEETs.

Atwell added: ‘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.'

Rebecca Gray, mental health director speaking on behalf of the NHS Confederation and NHS Providers, said: ‘These findings on the health of young people not in work are very concerning, and while we know that progress is being made in the NHS' role in tackling economic inactivity, much more needs to be done to address the root causes of ill-health in our communities.

‘Government policy makers and health service leaders need to work together to better understand what young people need. While some of that will sit in the NHS, much of it will lie elsewhere.

‘Where young people do need clinical care, they must be able to access this in a timely and effective way – excessive waits often entrench and worsen illness and lead to absence from education and reduce the likelihood of them entering the job market. Many of our members are making rapid progress on reducing wating times for children and young people.'

A Government spokesperson said: ‘We are committed to ensuring every young person has the opportunity to earn or learn.

‘That's why we are providing almost £1bn of additional investment to support young people, helping to create 200,000 jobs and taking the total to £2.5bn.

‘For those young people being held back by health conditions, we are also investing £3.5bn by the end of the decade to help them back into the workplace.'