Countries · Unemployment (% of labor force)
Countries by Unemployment Rate (2025)
National unemployment definitions vary, so this list uses the International Labour Organization's modeled estimates, which apply one definition to every country and make the numbers comparable. Unemployed means without work, available, and actively looking.
Eswatini has the highest unemployment rate at 34.2%, and Qatar the lowest at 0.1%.
Key facts
Highest
- 1Eswatini34.2%
- 2South Africa32.4%
- 3Djibouti26.0%
Lowest
- 187Qatar0.1%
- 186Cambodia0.3%
- 185Niger0.4%
Top and bottom countries
Unemployment (% of labor force).
Distribution of all 187 countries
Darker bar contains the median (5.2%).
Full ranking
| 1 | Eswatini | 34.2% | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | South Africa | 32.4% | 2025 |
| 3 | Djibouti | 26.0% | 2025 |
| 4 | Botswana | 24.5% | 2025 |
| 5 | West Bank and Gaza | 24.4% | 2022 |
| 6 | Gabon | 20.2% | 2025 |
| 7 | Republic of the Congo | 19.9% | 2025 |
| 8 | Namibia | 19.3% | 2025 |
| 9 | Somalia | 18.9% | 2025 |
| 10 | Libya | 18.8% | 2025 |
| 11 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 18.0% | 2025 |
| 12 | Yemen | 17.3% | 2025 |
| 13 | Jordan | 16.5% | 2025 |
| 14 | Lesotho | 16.3% | 2025 |
| 15 | Iraq | 15.5% | 2025 |
| 16 | Tunisia | 15.1% | 2025 |
| 17 | Haiti | 14.9% | 2025 |
| 18 | Angola | 14.1% | 2025 |
| 19 | Montenegro | 13.6% | 2025 |
| 20 | Syria | 13.6% | 2025 |
| 21 | Afghanistan | 13.4% | 2025 |
| 22 | Armenia | 12.9% | 2025 |
| 23 | South Sudan | 12.4% | 2023 |
| 24 | North Macedonia | 12.3% | 2025 |
| 25 | Georgia | 12.1% | 2025 |
| 26 | Guyana | 12.0% | 2025 |
| 27 | Cabo Verde | 11.9% | 2025 |
| 28 | French Polynesia | 11.7% | 2025 |
| 29 | Algeria | 11.6% | 2025 |
| 30 | US Virgin Islands | 11.4% | 2025 |
| 31 | Rwanda | 11.4% | 2025 |
| 32 | New Caledonia | 11.2% | 2025 |
| 33 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 11.0% | 2025 |
| 34 | Lebanon | 11.0% | 2023 |
| 35 | Albania | 10.9% | 2025 |
| 36 | Nepal | 10.5% | 2025 |
| 37 | Spain | 10.4% | 2025 |
| 38 | Mauritania | 10.3% | 2025 |
| 39 | Ukraine | 9.8% | 2021 |
| 40 | Finland | 9.5% | 2025 |
| 41 | Saint Lucia | 9.5% | 2025 |
| 42 | Zimbabwe | 9.3% | 2025 |
| 43 | Bahamas | 9.2% | 2025 |
| 44 | Sao Tome and Principe | 9.1% | 2025 |
| 45 | Morocco | 9.0% | 2025 |
| 46 | Chile | 9.0% | 2025 |
| 47 | Belize | 8.9% | 2025 |
| 48 | Sweden | 8.7% | 2025 |
| 49 | Greece | 8.5% | 2025 |
| 50 | Türkiye | 8.5% | 2025 |
| 51 | Panama | 8.4% | 2025 |
| 52 | Equatorial Guinea | 8.3% | 2025 |
| 53 | Estonia | 8.3% | 2025 |
| 54 | Iran | 8.3% | 2025 |
| 55 | Colombia | 8.3% | 2025 |
| 56 | Suriname | 7.8% | 2025 |
| 57 | France | 7.5% | 2025 |
| 58 | Sudan | 7.5% | 2022 |
| 59 | Uruguay | 7.5% | 2025 |
| 60 | Argentina | 7.1% | 2025 |
| 61 | Serbia | 7.1% | 2025 |
| 62 | Tajikistan | 6.9% | 2025 |
| 63 | Canada | 6.9% | 2025 |
| 64 | Costa Rica | 6.8% | 2025 |
| 65 | Egypt | 6.8% | 2025 |
| 66 | Lithuania | 6.7% | 2025 |
| 67 | Mozambique | 6.6% | 2025 |
| 68 | Latvia | 6.6% | 2025 |
| 69 | Barbados | 6.5% | 2025 |
| 70 | Gambia | 6.5% | 2025 |
| 71 | Italy | 6.4% | 2025 |
| 72 | Luxembourg | 6.3% | 2025 |
| 73 | Central African Republic | 6.3% | 2025 |
| 74 | Channel Islands | 6.2% | 2025 |
| 75 | Portugal | 6.2% | 2025 |
| 76 | Romania | 6.0% | 2025 |
| 77 | Puerto Rico (US) | 6.0% | 2025 |
| 78 | Eritrea | 6.0% | 2025 |
| 79 | Brazil | 6.0% | 2025 |
| 80 | Zambia | 5.9% | 2025 |
| 81 | Belgium | 5.9% | 2025 |
| 82 | Mauritius | 5.6% | 2025 |
| 83 | Austria | 5.6% | 2025 |
| 84 | Guam | 5.6% | 2025 |
| 85 | Denmark | 5.5% | 2025 |
| 86 | Azerbaijan | 5.5% | 2025 |
| 87 | Kenya | 5.4% | 2025 |
| 88 | Pakistan | 5.4% | 2025 |
| 89 | Slovakia | 5.4% | 2025 |
| 90 | Fiji | 5.3% | 2025 |
| 91 | Venezuela | 5.3% | 2025 |
| 92 | Brunei Darussalam | 5.3% | 2025 |
| 93 | Mongolia | 5.2% | 2025 |
| 94 | Guinea | 5.2% | 2025 |
| 95 | Peru | 5.1% | 2025 |
| 96 | Dominican Republic | 5.1% | 2025 |
| 97 | New Zealand | 5.1% | 2025 |
| 98 | Vanuatu | 5.1% | 2025 |
| 99 | Malawi | 5.1% | 2025 |
| 100 | Nicaragua | 5.0% | 2025 |
| 101 | Croatia | 5.0% | 2025 |
| 102 | Samoa | 5.0% | 2025 |
| 103 | Cyprus | 4.9% | 2025 |
| 104 | Honduras | 4.9% | 2025 |
| 105 | Switzerland | 4.9% | 2025 |
| 106 | Paraguay | 4.8% | 2025 |
| 107 | Kazakhstan | 4.8% | 2025 |
| 108 | United Kingdom | 4.7% | 2025 |
| 109 | Norway | 4.6% | 2025 |
| 110 | Ireland | 4.6% | 2025 |
| 111 | Uzbekistan | 4.6% | 2025 |
| 112 | China | 4.6% | 2025 |
| 113 | Hungary | 4.5% | 2025 |
| 114 | Maldives | 4.5% | 2025 |
| 115 | DR Congo | 4.4% | 2025 |
| 116 | Turkmenistan | 4.3% | 2025 |
| 117 | India | 4.2% | 2025 |
| 118 | United States | 4.2% | 2025 |
| 119 | Australia | 4.1% | 2025 |
| 120 | Sri Lanka | 4.0% | 2025 |
| 121 | Netherlands | 3.9% | 2025 |
| 122 | Comoros | 3.8% | 2025 |
| 123 | Bangladesh | 3.8% | 2025 |
| 124 | Malaysia | 3.8% | 2025 |
| 125 | Germany | 3.7% | 2025 |
| 126 | Iceland | 3.6% | 2025 |
| 127 | Cameroon | 3.6% | 2025 |
| 128 | North Korea | 3.5% | 2025 |
| 129 | Bulgaria | 3.5% | 2025 |
| 130 | Kyrgyzstan | 3.5% | 2025 |
| 131 | Israel | 3.5% | 2025 |
| 132 | Burkina Faso | 3.5% | 2025 |
| 133 | Belarus | 3.4% | 2025 |
| 134 | Trinidad and Tobago | 3.3% | 2025 |
| 135 | Ethiopia | 3.3% | 2025 |
| 136 | Ecuador | 3.3% | 2025 |
| 137 | El Salvador | 3.3% | 2025 |
| 138 | Jamaica | 3.3% | 2025 |
| 139 | Oman | 3.3% | 2025 |
| 140 | Indonesia | 3.2% | 2025 |
| 141 | Bhutan | 3.2% | 2025 |
| 142 | Slovenia | 3.2% | 2025 |
| 143 | Sierra Leone | 3.1% | 2025 |
| 144 | Nigeria | 3.1% | 2025 |
| 145 | Myanmar | 3.0% | 2025 |
| 146 | Madagascar | 3.0% | 2025 |
| 147 | Saudi Arabia | 3.0% | 2025 |
| 148 | Ghana | 3.0% | 2025 |
| 149 | Poland | 3.0% | 2025 |
| 150 | Bolivia | 3.0% | 2025 |
| 151 | Malta | 2.9% | 2025 |
| 152 | Liberia | 2.9% | 2025 |
| 153 | Mali | 2.8% | 2025 |
| 154 | Czechia | 2.8% | 2025 |
| 155 | Singapore | 2.8% | 2025 |
| 156 | Hong Kong SAR | 2.8% | 2025 |
| 157 | Uganda | 2.7% | 2025 |
| 158 | Senegal | 2.7% | 2025 |
| 159 | South Korea | 2.7% | 2025 |
| 160 | Guinea-Bissau | 2.7% | 2025 |
| 160 | Mexico | 2.7% | 2025 |
| 162 | Guatemala | 2.6% | 2025 |
| 163 | Papua New Guinea | 2.6% | 2025 |
| 164 | Japan | 2.5% | 2025 |
| 165 | Macao SAR | 2.3% | 2025 |
| 166 | Côte d'Ivoire | 2.3% | 2025 |
| 167 | Philippines | 2.2% | 2025 |
| 168 | Kuwait | 2.2% | 2025 |
| 169 | United Arab Emirates | 2.2% | 2025 |
| 170 | Russia | 2.1% | 2025 |
| 171 | Tonga | 2.0% | 2025 |
| 172 | Togo | 2.0% | 2025 |
| 173 | Cuba | 1.7% | 2025 |
| 174 | Timor-Leste | 1.6% | 2025 |
| 175 | Benin | 1.6% | 2025 |
| 176 | Tanzania | 1.6% | 2025 |
| 177 | Viet Nam | 1.5% | 2025 |
| 178 | Moldova | 1.5% | 2025 |
| 179 | Solomon Islands | 1.4% | 2025 |
| 180 | Laos | 1.2% | 2025 |
| 181 | Bahrain | 1.1% | 2025 |
| 182 | Chad | 1.1% | 2025 |
| 183 | Burundi | 0.9% | 2025 |
| 184 | Thailand | 0.8% | 2025 |
| 185 | Niger | 0.4% | 2025 |
| 186 | Cambodia | 0.3% | 2025 |
| 187 | Qatar | 0.1% | 2025 |
Methodology
World Bank World Development Indicators, series SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS (Unemployment, total, % of total labor force, modeled ILO estimate). We show the latest year available per economy and exclude aggregates. Very low rates in some countries reflect large informal or subsistence sectors rather than a tight labor market.
Economies are listed under their World Bank names. Regional, income-group and other aggregates are excluded. Each row uses that economy's latest available year, and figures more than four years older than the most common latest year are left out so the ranking stays comparable; see the Year column. Some names are shortened from the World Bank's formal names (for example “South Korea” for “Korea, Rep.”).
Frequently asked questions
Why do some poor countries have very low unemployment?
Where there is little unemployment insurance, few people can afford to be without any work, so many take informal or part-time jobs. They count as employed even if underemployed.
Sources
- World Bank, World Development Indicators: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS)
- World Bank Indicators API
Data retrieved October 28, 2026 (source last updated 2026-10-08). Values are shown as published, rounded for display; derived percentages are computed by us from published counts as described above. Download the CSV. Spotted an error? Tell us.
Cite this page: SortedLists, “Countries by Unemployment Rate”, https://sortedlists.com/countries-by-unemployment-rate/ (accessed October 28, 2026). Data: World Bank, World Development Indicators: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS).