Main Content

Field Listing :: Unemployment rate
This entry contains the percent of the labor force that is without jobs. Substantial underemployment might be noted.

Country Comparison Ranking

By Country Listing of the values for the Unemployment rate field
Country Unemployment rate
Afghanistan
23.9% (2017 est.)
22.6% (2016 est.)
Albania
5.83% (2019 est.)
6.32% (2018 est.)

note: these official rates may not include those working at near-subsistence farming

Algeria
11.7% (2017 est.)
10.5% (2016 est.)
American Samoa
29.8% (2005)
Andorra
3.7% (2016 est.)
4.1% (2015 est.)
Angola
6.6% (2016 est.)
Anguilla
8% (2002)
Antigua and Barbuda
11% (2014 est.)
Argentina
9.84% (2019 est.)
9.18% (2018 est.)
Armenia
18.9% (2017 est.)
18.8% (2016 est.)
Aruba
7.7% (2016 est.)
Australia
5.16% (2019 est.)
5.29% (2018 est.)
Austria
7.35% (2019 est.)
7.7% (2018 est.)
Azerbaijan
5% (2017 est.)
5% (2016 est.)
Bahamas, The
10.1% (2017 est.)
12.2% (2016 est.)
Bahrain
3.6% (2017 est.)
3.7% (2016 est.)

note: official estimate; actual rate is higher

Bangladesh
4.4% (2017 est.)
4.4% (2016 est.)

note: about 40% of the population is underemployed; many persons counted as employed work only a few hours a week and at low wages

Barbados
10.1% (2017 est.)
9.9% (2016 est.)
Belarus
0.8% (2017 est.)
1% (2016 est.)

note: official registered unemployed; large number of underemployed workers

Belgium
5.36% (2019 est.)
5.96% (2018 est.)
Belize
9% (2017 est.)
8% (2016 est.)
Benin
1% (2014 est.)
Bermuda
7% (2017 est.)
7% (2016 est.)
Bhutan
3.2% (2017 est.)
3.2% (2016 est.)
Bolivia
4% (2017 est.)
4% (2016 est.)

note: data are for urban areas; widespread underemployment

Bosnia and Herzegovina
33.28% (2019 est.)
35.97% (2018 est.)

note: official rate; actual rate is lower as many technically unemployed persons work in the gray economy

Botswana
20% (2013 est.)
17.8% (2009 est.)
Brazil
11.93% (2019 est.)
12.26% (2018 est.)
British Virgin Islands
2.9% (2015 est.)
Brunei
6.9% (2017 est.)
6.9% (2016 est.)
Bulgaria
5.66% (2019 est.)
6.18% (2018 est.)
Burkina Faso
77% (2004)
Burma
4% (2017 est.)
4% (2016 est.)
Burundi

NA

Cabo Verde
9% (2017 est.)
9% (2016 est.)
Cambodia
0.3% (2017 est.)
0.2% (2016 est.)

note: high underemployment, according to official statistics

Cameroon
4.3% (2014 est.)
30% (2001 est.)
Canada
5.67% (2019 est.)
5.83% (2018 est.)
Cayman Islands
4% (2008)
4.4% (2004)
Central African Republic
6.9% (2017 est.)
Chad

NA

Chile
7.22% (2019 est.)
7.33% (2018 est.)
China
3.64% (2019 est.)
3.84% (2018 est.)

note: data are for registered urban unemployment, which excludes private enterprises and migrants

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
0.1% (2011)
60% (2000 est.)
Colombia
10.5% (2019 est.)
9.68% (2018 est.)
Comoros
6.5% (2014 est.)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the

NA

Congo, Republic of the
36% (2014 est.)
Cook Islands
13.1% (2005)
Costa Rica
8.1% (2017 est.)
9.5% (2016 est.)
Cote d'Ivoire
9.4% (2013 est.)
Croatia
8.07% (2019 est.)
9.86% (2018 est.)
Cuba
2.6% (2017 est.)
2.4% (2016 est.)

note: data are official rates; unofficial estimates are about double

Curacao
13% (2013 est.)
9.8% (2011 est.)
Cyprus
7.07% (2019 est.)
8.37% (2018 est.)
Czechia
2.8% (2019 est.)
3.18% (2018 est.)
Denmark
3.05% (2019 est.)
3.07% (2018 est.)
Djibouti
40% (2017 est.)
60% (2014 est.)
Dominica
23% (2000 est.)
Dominican Republic
5.1% (2017 est.)
5.5% (2016 est.)
Ecuador
5.71% (2019 est.)
5.26% (2018 est.)
Egypt
7.86% (2019 est.)
12.7% (2016 est.)
El Salvador
7% (2017 est.)
6.9% (2016 est.)

note: data are official rates; but underemployment is high

Equatorial Guinea
8.6% (2014 est.)
22.3% (2009 est.)
Eritrea
5.8% (2017 est.)
10% (2016 est.)
Estonia
4.94% (2019 est.)
4.73% (2018 est.)
Eswatini
28% (2014 est.)
28% (2013 est.)
Ethiopia
17.5% (2012 est.)
18% (2011 est.)
European Union
8.6% (2016 est.)
9.4% (2015 est.)
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
1% (2016 est.)
Faroe Islands
2.2% (2017 est.)
3.4% (2016 est.)
Fiji
4.5% (2017 est.)
5.5% (2016 est.)
Finland
6.63% (2019 est.)
7.38% (2018 est.)
France
8.12% (2019 est.)
8.69% (2018 est.)

note: includes overseas territories

French Polynesia
21.8% (2012)
11.7% (2010)
Gabon
28% (2015 est.)
20.4% (2014 est.)
Gambia, The

NA

Gaza Strip
27.9% (2017 est.)
27% (2016 est.)

note: data exclude the West Bank

Georgia
NA% (2017 est.)
11.8% (2016 est.)
Germany
4.98% (2019 est.)
5.19% (2018 est.)
Ghana
11.9% (2015 est.)
5.2% (2013 est.)
Gibraltar
1% (2016 est.)
Greece
17.3% (2019 est.)
19.34% (2018 est.)
Greenland
9.1% (2015 est.)
10.3% (2014 est.)
Grenada
24% (2017 est.)
28.2% (2016 est.)
Guam
4.5% (2017 est.)
3.9% (2016 est.)
Guatemala
2.3% (2017 est.)
2.4% (2016 est.)
Guernsey
1.2% (2016 est.)
Guinea
2.7% (2017 est.)
2.8% (2016 est.)
Guinea-Bissau

NA

Guyana
11.1% (2013)
11.3% (2012)
Haiti
40.6% (2010 est.)

note: widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs

Honduras
5.6% (2017 est.)
6.3% (2016 est.)

note: about one-third of the people are underemployed

Hong Kong
2.93% (2019 est.)
2.83% (2018 est.)
Hungary
3.45% (2019 est.)
3.71% (2018 est.)
Iceland
3.62% (2019 est.)
2.73% (2018 est.)
India
8.5% (2017 est.)
8.5% (2016 est.)
Indonesia
5.31% (2018 est.)
5.4% (2017 est.)
Iran
11.8% (2017 est.)
12.4% (2016 est.)

note: data are Iranian Government numbers

Iraq
16% (2012 est.)
15% (2010 est.)
Ireland
4.98% (2019 est.)
5.78% (2018 est.)
Isle of Man
1.1% (2017 est.)
2% (April 2011 est.)
Israel
3.81% (2019 est.)
4% (2018 est.)
Italy
9.88% (2019 est.)
10.63% (2018 est.)
Jamaica
7.72% (2019 est.)
9.13% (2018 est.)
Japan
2.36% (2019 est.)
2.44% (2018 est.)
Jersey
4% (2015 est.)
4.6% (2014 est.)
Jordan
19.1% (2019 est.)
18.61% (2018 est.)

note: official rate; unofficial rate is approximately 30%

Kazakhstan
4.8% (2019 est.)
4.85% (2018 est.)
Kenya
40% (2013 est.)
40% (2001 est.)
Kiribati
30.6% (2010 est.)
6.1% (2005)
Korea, North
25.6% (2013 est.)
25.5% (2012 est.)
Korea, South
3.76% (2019 est.)
3.85% (2018 est.)
Kosovo
30.5% (2017 est.)
27.5% (2016 est.)

note: Kosovo has a large informal sector that may not be reflected in these data

Kuwait
1.1% (2017 est.)
1.1% (2016 est.)
Kyrgyzstan
3.18% (2019 est.)
2.59% (2018 est.)
Laos
0.7% (2017 est.)
0.7% (2016 est.)
Latvia
6.14% (2019 est.)
6.51% (2018 est.)
Lebanon
9.7% (2007)
Lesotho
28.1% (2014 est.)
25% (2008 est.)
Liberia
2.8% (2014 est.)
Libya
30% (2004 est.)
Liechtenstein
2.4% (2015)
2.4% (2014)
Lithuania
8.4% (2019 est.)
8.5% (2018 est.)
Luxembourg
5.36% (2019 est.)
5.46% (2018 est.)
Macau
2% (2017 est.)
1.9% (2016 est.)
Madagascar
1.8% (2017 est.)
1.8% (2016 est.)
Malawi
20.4% (2013 est.)
Malaysia
3.3% (2019 est.)
3.33% (2018 est.)
Maldives
2.9% (2017 est.)
3.2% (2016 est.)
Mali
7.9% (2017 est.)
7.8% (2016 est.)
Malta
0.78% (2019 est.)
0.89% (2018 est.)
Marshall Islands
36% (2006 est.)
30.9% (2000 est.)
Mauritania
10.2% (2017 est.)
10.1% (2016 est.)
Mauritius
6.65% (2019 est.)
6.84% (2018 est.)
Mexico
3.49% (2019 est.)
3.33% (2018 est.)

note: underemployment may be as high as 25%

Micronesia, Federated States of
16.2% (2010 est.)
Moldova
4.99% (2019 est.)
3.16% (2018 est.)
Monaco
2% (2012)
Mongolia
8% (2017 est.)
7.9% (2016 est.)
Montenegro
15.82% (2019 est.)
18.8% (2018 est.)
Montserrat
5.6% (2017 est.)
6% (1998 est.)
Morocco
9.23% (2019 est.)
9.65% (2018 est.)
Mozambique
24.5% (2017 est.)
25% (2016 est.)
Namibia
34% (2016 est.)
28.1% (2014 est.)
Nauru
23% (2011 est.)
90% (2004 est.)
Nepal
3% (2017 est.)
3.2% (2016 est.)
Netherlands
3.41% (2019 est.)
3.84% (2018 est.)
New Caledonia
14.7% (2014)
14% (2009)
New Zealand
4.13% (2019 est.)
4.32% (2018 est.)
Nicaragua
6.4% (2017 est.)
6.2% (2016 est.)

note: underemployment was 46.5% in 2008

Niger
0.3% (2017 est.)
0.3% (2016 est.)
Nigeria
16.5% (2017 est.)
13.9% (2016 est.)
Niue
12% (2001)
North Macedonia
17.29% (2019 est.)
20.7% (2018 est.)
Northern Mariana Islands
11.2% (2010 est.)
8% (2005 est.)
Norway
3.72% (2019 est.)
3.89% (2018 est.)
Oman

NA

Pakistan
6% (2017 est.)
6% (2016 est.)

note: Pakistan has substantial underemployment

Palau
1.7% (2015 est.)
4.1% (2012)
Panama
6.14% (2018 est.)
6% (2017 est.)
Papua New Guinea
2.5% (2017 est.)
2.5% (2016 est.)
Paraguay
5.7% (2017 est.)
6% (2016 est.)
Peru
6.58% (2019 est.)
6.73% (2018 est.)

note: data are for metropolitan Lima; widespread underemployment

Philippines
5.11% (2019 est.)
5.29% (2018 est.)
Poland
5.43% (2019 est.)
6.08% (2018 est.)
Portugal
6.55% (2019 est.)
7.05% (2018 est.)
Puerto Rico
10.8% (2017 est.)
11.8% (2016 est.)
Qatar
8.9% (2017 est.)
11.1% (2016 est.)
Romania
3.06% (2019 est.)
3.56% (2018 est.)
Russia
4.6% (2019 est.)
4.8% (2018 est.)
Rwanda
2.7% (2014 est.)
Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
14% (1998 est.)
Saint Kitts and Nevis
4.5% (1997)
Saint Lucia
20% (2003 est.)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
8.7% (2015 est.)
9.9% (2008 est.)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
18.8% (2008 est.)
Samoa
5.2% (2017 est.)
5.5% (2016 est.)

NA

San Marino
8.1% (2017 est.)
8.6% (2016 est.)
Sao Tome and Principe
12.2% (2017 est.)
12.6% (2016 est.)
Saudi Arabia
6% (2017 est.)
5.6% (2016 est.)

note: data are for total population; unemployment among Saudi nationals is more than double

Senegal
48% (2007 est.)
Serbia
14.1% (2017 est.)
15.9% (2016 est.)
Seychelles
3% (2017 est.)
2.7% (2016 est.)
Sierra Leone
15% (2017 est.)
17.2% (2016 est.)
Singapore
2.25% (2019 est.)
2.1% (2018 est.)
Sint Maarten
12% (2012 est.)
10.6% (2008 est.)
Slovakia
5% (2019 est.)
5.42% (2018 est.)
Slovenia
7.64% (2019 est.)
8.25% (2018 est.)
Solomon Islands

NA

Somalia

NA

South Africa
28.53% (2019 est.)
27.09% (2018 est.)
Spain
14.13% (2019 est.)
15.25% (2018 est.)
Sri Lanka
4.83% (2019 est.)
4.44% (2018 est.)
Sudan
19.6% (2017 est.)
20.6% (2016 est.)
Suriname
8.9% (2017 est.)
9.7% (2016 est.)
Sweden
6.78% (2019 est.)
6.33% (2018 est.)
Switzerland
2.31% (2019 est.)
2.55% (2018 est.)
Syria
50% (2017 est.)
50% (2016 est.)
Taiwan
3.73% (2019 est.)
3.69% (2018 est.)
Tajikistan
2.4% (2016 est.)
2.5% (2015 est.)

note: official rate; actual unemployment is much higher

Tanzania
10.3% (2014 est.)
Thailand
0.99% (2019 est.)
1.06% (2018 est.)
Timor-Leste
4.4% (2014 est.)
3.9% (2010 est.)
Togo
6.9% (2016 est.)
Tokelau
2% (2015 est.)
note: Underemployment may be as high as 6.6%
Tonga
1.1% (2011 est.)
1.1% (2006)
Trinidad and Tobago
4.9% (2017 est.)
4% (2016 est.)
Tunisia
15.5% (2017 est.)
15.5% (2016 est.)
Turkey
13.68% (2019 est.)
11% (2018 est.)
Turkmenistan
11% (2014 est.)
10.6% (2013)
Turks and Caicos Islands
10% (1997 est.)
Tuvalu

NA

Uganda
9.4% (2014 est.)
Ukraine
8.89% (2019 est.)
9.42% (2018 est.)

note: officially registered workers; large number of unregistered or underemployed workers

United Arab Emirates
1.6% (2016 est.)
3.6% (2014 est.)
United Kingdom
3.17% (2019 est.)
2.51% (2018 est.)
United States
3.89% (2018 est.)
4.4% (2017 est.)
Uruguay
7.6% (2017 est.)
7.9% (2016 est.)
Uzbekistan
5% (2017 est.)
5.1% (2016 est.)

note: official data; another 20% are underemployed

Vanuatu
1.7% (1999 est.)
Venezuela
6.9% (2018 est.)
27.1% (2017 est.)
Vietnam
3.11% (2018 est.)
2.2% (2017 est.)
Virgin Islands
10.4% (2017 est.)
11% (2016 est.)
Wallis and Futuna
8.8% (2013 est.)
12.2% (2008 est.)
West Bank
27.9% (2017 est.)
27% (2016 est.)

note: excludes Gaza Strip

World
7.7% (2017 est.)
7.5% (2016 est.)

note: combined unemployment and underemployment in many non-industrialized countries; developed countries typically 4%-12% unemployment (2007 est.)

Yemen
27% (2014 est.)
35% (2003 est.)
Zambia
15% (2008 est.)
50% (2000 est.)
Zimbabwe
11.3% (2014 est.)
80% (2005 est.)

note: data include both unemployment and underemployment; true unemployment is unknown and, under current economic conditions, unknowable