Romania: Unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic education)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Romania's unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic education) rose 0.53 percentage points on 2023 (from 14.27% to 14.81%).

Across the 26 yearly changes before that (1998 to 2023), the average change was +0.4 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.47 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above 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 5.59 percentage points in 2021 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.61 percentage points in 2005. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 1.03 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 68% 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 2024, Romania had the 11th highest value of the 63 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 Romania in the 2024 ranking

• North Macedonia — 8th of 63: 19.03%
• Lithuania — 9th of 63: 17.26%
• Latvia — 10th of 63: 17.16%
• Estonia — 12th of 63: 14.74%
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 13th of 63: 14.3%
• Hungary — 14th of 63: 13.73%

What this measures

The percentage of the labor force with a basic level of education who are unemployed. Basic education comprises primary education or lower secondary education according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).

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

All 28 values

Unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic education) in nearby economies

• Albania — 7.58% (2024)
• Armenia — 10.27% (2023)
• Austria — 13.58% (2025)
• Azerbaijan — 12.31% (2022)
• Belarus — 7.74% (2024)
• Belgium — 11.72% (2024)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 14.3% (2024)
• Bulgaria — 13.69% (2024)

More social protection & labor data for Romania

• Net migration — -29,041 (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin — 3,130 (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum — 206,671 (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 19.6% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 30.64% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 25.23% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 57.6% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Romania's unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic education)?

14.81% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1997?

It is up 10.94 percentage points from 3.87% in 1997. The highest value was 14.81% in 2024 and the lowest 3.09% in 1998.

How does Romania rank?

11th highest of 63 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic education) unusual for Romania?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SL.UEM.BASC.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: March 30, 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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