Of the economies in the World Bank's latest release, Namibia has the highest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) (33.05% in 2023) and Qatar the lowest (0.06% in 2024).
What this measures
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.
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.
Each country's latest available year is shown; countries report on different schedules, so compare years before comparing values.
Ranking
| # | Economy | Latest value | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Namibia | 33.05% | 2023 |
| 2 | South Africa | 30.42% | 2024 |
| 3 | West Bank and Gaza | 28.48% | 2025 |
| 4 | Botswana | 22.49% | 2024 |
| 5 | Puerto Rico (US) | 15.04% | 2020 |
| 6 | Jordan | 14.7% | 2024 |
| 7 | Malawi | 12.92% | 2024 |
| 8 | Tunisia | 12.82% | 2023 |
| 9 | North Macedonia | 12.23% | 2025 |
| 10 | Montenegro | 10.89% | 2024 |
| 11 | Morocco | 10.22% | 2022 |
| 12 | Angola | 10.17% | 2025 |
| 13 | Finland | 10.14% | 2025 |
| 14 | Georgia | 9.67% | 2025 |
| 15 | Ukraine | 9.55% | 2021 |
| 16 | Algeria | 9.43% | 2017 |
| 17 | Spain | 9.26% | 2025 |
| 18 | Zimbabwe | 8.96% | 2025 |
| 19 | Greenland | 8.9% | 2015 |
| 20 | Sweden | 8.77% | 2025 |
| 21 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 8.48% | 2025 |
| 22 | Chile | 8.38% | 2025 |
| 23 | Estonia | 8.3% | 2025 |
| 24 | Lithuania | 7.9% | 2025 |
| 25 | Bahamas, The | 7.87% | 2024 |
| 26 | Albania | 7.87% | 2024 |
| 27 | France | 7.79% | 2025 |
| 28 | Latvia | 7.68% | 2025 |
| 29 | Kosovo | 7.68% | 2024 |
| 30 | Venezuela, RB | 7.28% | 2020 |
| 31 | Armenia | 7.22% | 2023 |
| 32 | St. Lucia | 7.19% | 2025 |
| 33 | Canada | 7.12% | 2025 |
| 34 | Serbia | 7.05% | 2025 |
| 35 | Greece | 6.98% | 2025 |
| 36 | Türkiye | 6.83% | 2025 |
| 37 | Colombia | 6.78% | 2025 |
| 38 | Panama | 6.72% | 2025 |
| 39 | Argentina | 6.72% | 2025 |
| 40 | Belgium | 6.66% | 2025 |
| 41 | Barbados | 6.66% | 2024 |
| 42 | Denmark | 6.31% | 2025 |
| 43 | Iran, Islamic Rep. | 6.24% | 2024 |
| 44 | Luxembourg | 6.18% | 2025 |
| 45 | Romania | 6.17% | 2025 |
| 46 | Burkina Faso | 6.09% | 2025 |
| 47 | Austria | 6.08% | 2025 |
| 48 | Uruguay | 6.04% | 2025 |
| 49 | Pakistan | 5.95% | 2025 |
| 50 | Mongolia | 5.92% | 2025 |
| 51 | Belize | 5.87% | 2019 |
| 52 | Costa Rica | 5.8% | 2025 |
| 53 | Suriname | 5.68% | 2016 |
| 54 | Italy | 5.66% | 2025 |
| 55 | Portugal | 5.52% | 2025 |
| 56 | Croatia | 5.36% | 2025 |
| 57 | United Kingdom | 5.22% | 2025 |
| 58 | Nicaragua | 5.2% | 2018 |
| 59 | Zambia | 5.2% | 2024 |
| 60 | Slovak Republic | 5.1% | 2025 |
| 61 | New Zealand | 5.09% | 2025 |
| 62 | Rwanda | 5.02% | 2025 |
| 63 | Switzerland | 4.83% | 2025 |
| 64 | Norway | 4.81% | 2025 |
| 65 | Azerbaijan | 4.8% | 2022 |
| 66 | Brazil | 4.79% | 2025 |
| 67 | Ireland | 4.7% | 2025 |
| 68 | India | 4.56% | 2025 |
| 69 | Hungary | 4.54% | 2025 |
| 70 | Iceland | 4.45% | 2025 |
| 71 | Hong Kong SAR, China | 4.39% | 2025 |
| 72 | São Tomé and Principe | 4.37% | 2017 |
| 73 | United States | 4.37% | 2025 |
| 74 | Australia | 4.34% | 2025 |
| 75 | Kazakhstan | 4.3% | 2022 |
| 76 | Brunei Darussalam | 4.22% | 2025 |
| 77 | Germany | 4.13% | 2025 |
| 78 | Grenada | 4.09% | 2023 |
| 79 | Mauritius | 4.08% | 2024 |
| 80 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 4.04% | 2024 |
| 81 | Cyprus | 3.97% | 2025 |
| 82 | Senegal | 3.94% | 2025 |
| 83 | Uzbekistan | 3.94% | 2020 |
| 84 | Trinidad and Tobago | 3.86% | 2024 |
| 85 | Paraguay | 3.81% | 2025 |
| 86 | Malaysia | 3.8% | 2022 |
| 87 | Peru | 3.78% | 2025 |
| 88 | Bangladesh | 3.73% | 2024 |
| 89 | Netherlands | 3.72% | 2025 |
| 90 | Bulgaria | 3.68% | 2025 |
| 91 | Honduras | 3.63% | 2025 |
| 92 | Indonesia | 3.6% | 2023 |
| 93 | Slovenia | 3.56% | 2025 |
| 94 | Cayman Islands | 3.3% | 2015 |
| 95 | Singapore | 3.22% | 2025 |
| 96 | Ghana | 3.22% | 2025 |
| 97 | Israel | 3.1% | 2025 |
| 98 | Malta | 3.07% | 2025 |
| 99 | Kyrgyz Republic | 3.04% | 2023 |
| 100 | Dominican Republic | 3.04% | 2025 |
| 101 | Isle of Man | 3.03% | 2016 |
| 102 | Mali | 3.01% | 2024 |
| 103 | Sri Lanka | 2.98% | 2024 |
| 104 | San Marino | 2.92% | 2022 |
| 105 | Macao SAR, China | 2.92% | 2020 |
| 106 | Belarus | 2.92% | 2025 |
| 107 | Uganda | 2.86% | 2021 |
| 108 | Seychelles | 2.84% | 2025 |
| 109 | Korea, Rep. | 2.83% | 2025 |
| 110 | Poland | 2.83% | 2025 |
| 111 | Liechtenstein | 2.72% | 2017 |
| 112 | Japan | 2.7% | 2025 |
| 113 | Cambodia | 2.7% | 2025 |
| 114 | El Salvador | 2.66% | 2025 |
| 115 | Nigeria | 2.65% | 2024 |
| 116 | Ecuador | 2.64% | 2025 |
| 117 | Bhutan | 2.55% | 2025 |
| 118 | Czechia | 2.52% | 2025 |
| 119 | Mexico | 2.48% | 2025 |
| 120 | Jamaica | 2.24% | 2023 |
| 121 | Philippines | 2.18% | 2024 |
| 122 | Saudi Arabia | 2.08% | 2025 |
| 123 | Bolivia | 2.03% | 2025 |
| 124 | Russian Federation | 2.01% | 2025 |
| 125 | Guatemala | 1.7% | 2025 |
| 126 | Viet Nam | 1.63% | 2024 |
| 127 | Cuba | 1.6% | 2018 |
| 128 | Tanzania | 1.55% | 2025 |
| 129 | Moldova | 1.38% | 2025 |
| 130 | United Arab Emirates | 1.23% | 2025 |
| 131 | Kuwait | 0.94% | 2016 |
| 132 | Thailand | 0.55% | 2025 |
| 133 | Bahrain | 0.17% | 2015 |
| 134 | Tajikistan | 0.06% | 2016 |
| 135 | Qatar | 0.06% | 2024 |
Regions and income groups
| Region or group | Latest value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Arab World | 7.13% | 2016 |
| Caribbean small states | 5.3% | 2024 |
| Central Europe and the Baltics | 4.16% | 2025 |
| Early-demographic dividend | 4.75% | 2024 |
| Euro area | 6.14% | 2025 |
| Europe & Central Asia | 5.19% | 2025 |
| Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) | 9.48% | 2021 |
| Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD) | 4.09% | 2025 |
| European Union | 5.81% | 2025 |
| High income | 4.42% | 2025 |
| Latin America & Caribbean | 4.41% | 2025 |
| Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) | 4.22% | 2025 |
| Latin America & Caribbean (IDA & IBRD) | 4.41% | 2025 |
| Lower middle income | 4.1% | 2024 |
| Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 6.6% | 2021 |
| Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) | 7.18% | 2021 |
| Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) | 7.07% | 2021 |
| North America | 4.68% | 2025 |
| OECD members | 4.82% | 2025 |
| Post-demographic dividend | 4.81% | 2025 |
| South Asia | 4.56% | 2025 |
| South Asia (IDA & IBRD) | 4.56% | 2025 |
More social protection & labor indicators
- Employment in agriculture, female (% of female employment) (modeled ILO estimate)
- Employment in agriculture, male (% of male employment) (modeled ILO estimate)
- Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate)
- Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, female (%) (national estimate)
- Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate)
- Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) (national estimate)
- Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate)
- Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) (national estimate)
- Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate)
- Employers, female (% of female employment) (modeled ILO estimate)
- Employers, male (% of male employment) (modeled ILO estimate)
- Employers, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate)
Reading data like this
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, SL.UEM.TOTL.MA.NE.ZS, CC BY 4.0. Original source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: September 28, 2026 View on data.worldbank.org; the full definition is in the World Bank's metadata glossary.
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