Eswatini: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Eswatini's unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) fell 0.44 percentage points on 2024 (from 34.64% to 34.2%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +0.43 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.24 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.7 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 4.76 percentage points in 2020 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.86 percentage points in 2023. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is upward, about 1.46 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 80% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2025, Eswatini had the 1st highest value of the 182 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Eswatini in the 2025 ranking

• South Africa — 2nd of 182: 32.39%
• Djibouti — 3rd of 182: 26.02%
• Botswana — 4th of 182: 24.48%

What this measures

Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.

Limitations: While the unemployment rate may be considered the most informative labour market indicator, reflecting the general performance of the labour market and the economy as a whole, it should not be interpreted as a measure of economic hardship or of well-being. When based on the internationally-recommended standards, the unemployment rate simply reflects the proportion of the labour force that does not have a job but is available and actively looking for work. It says nothing about the economic resources of unemployed workers or their family members. Its use should, therefore, be limited to serving as a measurement of the utilization of labour and an indication of the failure to find work.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 35 values

Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in nearby economies

• Angola — 14.11% (2025)
• Benin — 1.59% (2025)
• Botswana — 24.48% (2025)
• Burkina Faso — 3.48% (2025)
• Burundi — 0.92% (2025)
• Cabo Verde — 11.94% (2025)
• Cameroon — 3.6% (2025)
• Central African Republic — 6.25% (2025)
• Chad

More social protection & labor data for Eswatini

• Net migration — -5,775 (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum — 1,414 (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 27.94% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 27.2% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 27.57% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 51.25% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 56.2% (2025)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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Questions people ask

What is Eswatini's unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate)?

34.2% in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1991?

It is up 13.68 percentage points from 20.52% in 1991. The highest value was 36.47% in 2022 and the lowest 20.52% in 1991.

How does Eswatini rank?

1st highest of 182 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) unusual for Eswatini?

In 2025, Eswatini's unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) fell 0.44 percentage points on 2024 (from 34.64% to 34.2%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +0.43 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.24 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.7 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: January 17, 2026 Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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