Field Listing :: Unemployment rate
This entry contains the percent of the labor force that is without jobs. Substantial underemployment might be noted.
Country Comparison to the World
Country
Unemployment rate(%)
Afghanistan 35% (2008 est.)
40% (2005 est.)
Albania 16.9% (2013 est.)
14.4% (2012 est.)
note: these are official rates that may not include those working at near-subsistence farming
Algeria 10.3% (2013 est.)
10.7% (2012 est.)
American Samoa 29.8% (2005)
Andorra 4% (2012 est.)
1.9% (2011 est.)
Angola NA%
Anguilla 8% (2002)
Antigua and Barbuda 11% (2001 est.)
Argentina 7.5% (2013 est.)
7.2% (2012 est.)
Armenia 17.3% (2012 est.)
18.4% (2011 est.)
Aruba 6.9% (2005 est.)
Australia 5.7% (2013 est.)
5.2% (2012 est.)
Austria 4.9% (2013 est.)
4.4% (2012 est.)
Azerbaijan 6% (2013 est.)
5.7% (2012 est.)
Bahamas, The 16.2% (2013 est.)
14% (2012 est.)
Bahrain 15% (2005 est.)
Bangladesh 5% (2013 est.)
5% (2012 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 11.4% (2013 est.)
11.6% (2012 est.)
Belarus 1% (2009 est.)
1.6% (2005)
note: official registered unemployed; large number of underemployed workers
Belgium 8.8% (2013 est.)
7.6% (2012 est.)
Belize 15.5% (2013)
11.3% (2012)
Benin NA%
Bermuda 8% (2012 est.)
Bhutan 2.1% (2013)
4% (2009)
Bolivia 7.4% (2013 est.)
7.5% (2012 est.)
note: data are for urban areas; widespread underemployment
Bosnia and Herzegovina 44.3% (2013 est.)
44.1% (2012 est.)
note: official rate; actual rate is lower as many technically unemployed persons work in the gray economy
Botswana 17.8% (2009 est.)
7.5% (2007 est.)
Brazil 5.7% (2013 est.)
5.5% (2012 est.)
British Virgin Islands 8.7% (2010 est.)
Brunei 2.6% (2011)
2.7% (2010)
Bulgaria 11.6% (2013 est.)
11.1% (2012 est.)
Burkina Faso 77% (2004)
Burma 5.2% (2013 est.)
5.4% (2012 est.)
Burundi NA%
Cabo Verde 21% (2000 est.)
Cambodia 0% (2011 est.)
0.3% (2010 est.)
Cameroon 30% (2001 est.)
Canada 7.1% (2013 est.)
7.3% (2012 est.)
Cayman Islands 4% (2008)
4.4% (2004)
Central African Republic 8% (2001 est.)
note: 23% unemployment in the capital, Bangui
Chad NA%
Chile 6% (2013 est.)
6.3% (2012 est.)
China 4.1% (2013 est.)
4.1% (2012 est.)
note: data are for registered urban unemployment, which excludes private enterprises and migrants
Cocos (Keeling) Islands 60% (2000 est.)
Colombia 9.7% (2013 est.)
10.4% (2012 est.)
Comoros 20% (1996 est.)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the NA%
Congo, Republic of the 53% (2012 est.)
Cook Islands 13.1% (2005)
Costa Rica 7.9% (2013 est.)
7.8% (2012 est.)
Cote d'Ivoire NA%
Croatia 21.6% (2013 est.)
19.1% (2012 est.)
Cuba 4.3% (2013 est.)
3.8% (2012 est.)
note: these are official rates; unofficial estimates are about double the official figures
Curacao 13% (2013 est.)
9.8% (2011 est.)
Cyprus 17.4% (2013 est.)
11.9% (2012 est.)
Czech Republic 7.1% (2013 est.)
7% (2012 est.)
Denmark 6% (2013 est.)
6% (2012 est.)
Djibouti 59% (2007 est.)
note: data are for urban areas only, unemployment is over 80% in rural areas
Dominica 23% (2000 est.)
Dominican Republic 15% (2013 est.)
14.3% (2012 est.)
Ecuador 4.2% (2013 est.)
4.2% (2011 est.)
Egypt 13.4% (2013 est.)
12.7% (2012 est.)
El Salvador 6.3% (2013 est.)
6.1% (2012 est.)
note: data are official rates; but underemployment is high
Equatorial Guinea 22.3% (2009 est.)
Eritrea NA%
Estonia 10.9% (2013 est.)
10.2% (2012 est.)
Ethiopia 17.5% (2012 est.)
18% (2011 est.)
European Union 10.5% (2013 est.)
10.1% (2012)
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 4.1% (2010)
Faroe Islands 6.8% (2011)
5.7% (2010)
Fiji 7.6% (1999)
Finland 8.1% (2013 est.)
7.8% (2012 est.)
France 10.2% (2013 est.)
10.2% (2012 est.)
note: includes overseas territories
French Polynesia 11.7% (2010)
11.7% (2005)
Gabon 21% (2006 est.)
Gambia, The NA%
Gaza Strip 22.5% (2013 est.)
23% (2012 est.)
Georgia 15% (2013 est.)
15.1% (2011 est.)
Germany 5.3% (2013 est.)
5.5% (2012 est.)
Ghana 11% (2000 est.)
Gibraltar 3% (2005 est.)
Greece 27.9% (2013 est.)
24.3% (2012 est.)
Greenland 9.4% (2013 est.)
4.2% (2010 est.)
Grenada 33.5% (2013)
25% (2008)
Guam 8.2% (2010 est.)
Guatemala 4.1% (2011 est.)
3.5% (2010 est.)
Guernsey 0.9% (March 2006 est.)
Guinea NA%
Guinea-Bissau NA%
Guyana 11% (2007)
Haiti 40.6% (2010 est.)
note: widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs
Honduras 4.5% (2013 est.)
4.4% (2012 est.)
note: about one-third of the people are underemployed
Hong Kong 3.1% (2013 est.)
3.3% (2012 est.)
Hungary 10.5% (2013 est.)
10.7% (2012 est.)
Iceland 4.5% (2013 est.)
5.8% (2012 est.)
India 8.8% (2013 est.)
8.5% (2012 est.)
Indonesia 6.6% (2013 est.)
6.1% (2012 est.)
Iran 16% (2013 est.)
15.5% (2012 est.)
note: data are according to the Iranian Government
Iraq 16% (2012 est.)
15% (2010 est.)
Ireland 13.5% (2013 est.)
14.7% (2012 est.)
Isle of Man 2% (April 2011 est.)
1.8% (October 2010 est.)
Israel 5.8% (2013 est.)
6.8% (2012 est.)
Italy 12.4% (2013 est.)
10.7% (2012 est.)
Jamaica 16.3% (2013 est.)
13.7% (2012 est.)
Japan 4.1% (2013 est.)
4.4% (2012 est.)
Jersey 1.7% (2012 est.)
2.2% (2006 est.)
Jordan 14% (2013 est.)
12.5% (2012 est.)
note: official rate; unofficial rate is approximately 30%
Kazakhstan 5.3% (2013 est.)
5.3% (2012 est.)
Kenya 40% (2008 est.)
40% (2001 est.)
Kiribati 2% (1992 est.)
Korea, North NA%
Korea, South 3.2% (2013 est.)
3.2% (2012 est.)
Kosovo 30.9% (2013 est.)
45% (1)
note: Kosovo has a large informal sector that may not be reflected in these data
Kuwait 3.4% (2011 est.)
2.9% (2010)
Kyrgyzstan 8.6% (2011 est.)
18% (2004 est.)
Laos 1.9% (2010 est.)
2.5% (2009 est.)
Latvia 9.8% (2013 est.)
11.4% (2012 est.)
Lebanon NA%
Lesotho 25% (2008 est.)
45% (2002 est.)
Liberia 85% (2003 est.)
Libya 30% (2004 est.)
Liechtenstein 2.3% (2012)
2.5% (2011)
Lithuania 12.4% (2013 est.)
13.2% (2012 est.)
Luxembourg 4.9% (2013 est.)
6.1% (2012 est.)
Macau 1.8% (2013 est.)
2% (2012 est.)
Macedonia 28.6% (2013 est.)
31% (2012 est.)
Malawi NA%
Malaysia 3.1% (2013 est.)
3% (2012 est.)
Maldives 28% (2012 est.)
14.5% (2010 est.)
Mali 30% (2004 est.)
Malta 6.4% (2013 est.)
6.5% (2012 est.)
Marshall Islands 36% (2006 est.)
30.9% (2000 est.)
Mauritania 30% (2008 est.)
20% (2004 est.)
Mauritius 8.3% (2013 est.)
8.1% (2012 est.)
Mexico 4.9% (2013 est.)
5.3% (2012 est.)
note: underemployment may be as high as 25%
Micronesia, Federated States of 22% (2000 est.)
Moldova 5.8% (2013 est.)
5.6% (2012 est.)
Monaco 2% (2012)
Mongolia 9% (2011 est.)
13% (2010)
Montenegro 19.1% (2012 est.)
11.5% (2011 est.)
Montserrat 6% (1998 est.)
Morocco 9.5% (2013 est.)
9% (2012 est.)
Mozambique 17% (2007 est.)
21% (1997 est.)
Namibia 27.4% (2012 est.)
51.2% (2008 est.)
Nauru 90% (2004 est.)
Nepal 46% (2008 est.)
42% (2004 est.)
Netherlands 8.3% (2013 est.)
6.4% (2012 est.)
New Caledonia 17.1% (2004)
New Zealand 6.4% (2013 est.)
6.9% (2012 est.)
Nicaragua 7.2% (2013 est.)
5.9% (2012 est.)
note: underemployment was 46.5% in 2008
Niger NA%
Nigeria 23.9% (2011 est.)
4.9% (2007 est.)
Niue 12% (2001)
Northern Mariana Islands 11.2% (2010 est.)
8% (2005 est.)
Norway 3.6% (2013 est.)
3.2% (2012 est.)
Oman 15% (2004 est.)
Pakistan 6.6% (2013 est.)
6% (2012 est.)
note: substantial underemployment exists
Palau 4.2% (2005 est.)
Panama 4.5% (2013 est.)
4.4% (2012 est.)
Papua New Guinea 1.9% (2008 est.)
1.7% (2004)
Paraguay 6.6% (2013 est.)
6.9% (2012 est.)
Peru 3.6% (2012 est.)
3.9% (2011 est.)
note: data are for metropolitan Lima; widespread underemployment
Philippines 7.4% (2013 est.)
7% (2012 est.)
Poland 10.3% (2013 est.)
10.1% (2012 est.)
Portugal 16.8% (2013 est.)
15.7% (2012 est.)
Puerto Rico 16% (2011 est.)
12% (2002 est.)
Qatar 0.3% (2013 est.)
0.5% (2012 est.)
Romania 7.3% (2013 est.)
6.5% (2012 est.)
Russia 5.8% (2013 est.)
5.5% (2012 est.)
Rwanda NA%
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 9.9% (2008 est.)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 18.8% (2008 est.)
Samoa NA%
San Marino 7% (2012)
5.5% (2011)
Sao Tome and Principe NA%
Saudi Arabia 10.5% (2013 est.)
10.6% (2012 est.)
note: data are for Saudi males only (local bank estimates; other estimates are as high as 25%)
Senegal 48% (2007 est.)
Serbia 20.1% (2013 est.)
22.4% (2012 est.)
Seychelles 2% (2006 est.)
Sierra Leone NA%
Singapore 1.9% (2013 est.)
2% (2012 est.)
Sint Maarten 12% (2012 est.)
10.6% (2008 est.)
Slovakia 14.4% (2013 est.)
13.6% (2012 est.)
Slovenia 13.1% (2013 est.)
12% (2012 est.)
Solomon Islands NA%
Somalia NA%
South Africa 24.9% (2013 est.)
25.1% (2012 est.)
Spain 26.3% (2013 est.)
25.1% (2012 est.)
Sri Lanka 5.1% (2013 est.)
4% (2012 est.)
Sudan 20% (2012 est.)
18.7% (2002 est.)
Suriname 9% (2008)
12.1% (2006)
Swaziland 40% (2006 est.)
Sweden 8.1% (2013 est.)
8% (2012 est.)
Switzerland 3.2% (2013 est.)
2.9% (2012 est.)
Syria 17.8% (2013 est.)
18% (2012 est.)
Taiwan 4.1% (2013 est.)
4.2% (2012 est.)
Tajikistan 2.5% (2013 est.)
2.5% (2012 est.)
note: official rates; actual unemployment is much higher
Tanzania NA%
Thailand 0.7% (2013 est.)
0.7% (2012 est.)
Timor-Leste 18.4% (2010 est.)
20% (2006 est.)
Togo NA%
Tokelau NA%
Tonga 13% (FY03/04 est.)
Trinidad and Tobago 5.9% (2013 est.)
5.6% (2012 est.)
Tunisia 17.2% (2013 est.)
17.4% (2012 est.)
Turkey 9.3% (2013 est.)
9.2% (2012 est.)
Turkmenistan 60% (2004 est.)
Turks and Caicos Islands 10% (1997 est.)
Tuvalu NA%
Uganda NA%
Ukraine 8% (2013 est.)
7.5% (2012 est.)
note: officially registered; large number of unregistered or underemployed workers
United Arab Emirates 2.4% (2001)
United Kingdom 7.2% (2013 est.)
7.8% (2012 est.)
United States 7.3% (2013 est.)
8.1% (2012 est.)
Uruguay 6.5% (2013 est.)
6% (2012 est.)
Uzbekistan 4.9% (2013 est.)
4.9% (2012 est.)
note: official data, another 20% are underemployed
Vanuatu 1.7% (1999)
Venezuela 7.9% (2013 est.)
7.8% (2012 est.)
Vietnam 1.3% (2013 est.)
3.2% (2012 est.)
Virgin Islands 6.2% (2004)
Wallis and Futuna 12.2% (2008)
West Bank 22.5% (2013 est.)
23% (2012 est.)
Western Sahara NA%
World 8.4% (2013 est.)
7.5% (2012 est.)
note: 30% combined unemployment and underemployment in many non-industrialized countries; developed countries typically 4%-12% unemployment (2007 est.)
Yemen 35% (2003 est.)
Zambia 15% (2008 est.)
50% (2000 est.)
Zimbabwe 95% (2009 est.)
80% (2005 est.)
note: figures include unemployment and underemployment; true unemployment is unknown and, under current economic conditions, unknowable