Top 100 Countries by Unemployment Rate (%), 2025
Highest unemployment rates in the IMF 2025 labour-market snapshot
The ranking compares unemployment as a percentage of the total labour force. It uses the IMF DataMapper LUR series for 2025 and shows the one-year change against 2024 in percentage points.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The unemployment rate counts people without work who are available for work and actively seeking a job. It does not count everyone outside employment, so participation, discouraged workers, informality and survey coverage are important when comparing countries.
Data context: the 2025 field should be read as the latest IMF WEO/DataMapper snapshot available for this comparison. For some economies, 2025 values may be estimates or projections rather than final labour-force survey outcomes.
Sudan is the highest value in the 2025 IMF LUR snapshot used here.
The ranking covers 100 economies with comparable values in the selected IMF series.
The middle of the listed distribution sits just above five percent.
Ten listed economies have a 2025 unemployment rate of 10% or higher.
What the unemployment-rate ranking measures
The indicator is the number of unemployed people divided by the labour force, multiplied by 100. The labour force includes people who are employed and people who are unemployed but available and looking for work.
A high rate usually signals weak job absorption, skills mismatch, conflict-related disruption, cyclical slowdown or structural barriers to formal hiring. A low rate is not automatically a sign of a strong labour market because low participation, migration, informality or discouraged workers can reduce measured unemployment without improving job quality.
Top 20 countries and territories by unemployment rate
The upper part of the ranking is sharply uneven. Sudan and South Africa sit far above the rest of the list, while the next group is concentrated around 8.5% to 13.9%. This means the headline distribution is driven by a small number of extreme labour-market stress cases rather than by a smooth global pattern.
| Rank | Country / territory | Unemployment 2025 | Change vs 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SudanSDN | 60.60% | −0.20 pp |
| 2 | South AfricaZAF | 32.70% | +0.10 pp |
| 3 | GeorgiaGEO | 13.90% | +0.00 pp |
| 4 | ArmeniaARM | 13.50% | −0.40 pp |
| 5 | MoroccoMAR | 13.10% | −0.20 pp |
| 6 | North MacedoniaMKD | 12.80% | −0.20 pp |
| 7 | Bosnia and HerzegovinaBIH | 12.60% | +0.00 pp |
| 8 | UkraineUKR | 11.60% | −1.50 pp |
| 9 | SpainESP | 10.80% | −0.50 pp |
| 10 | ColombiaCOL | 10.00% | −0.10 pp |
| 11 | SurinameSUR | 9.50% | −0.80 pp |
| 12 | The BahamasBHS | 9.30% | −0.10 pp |
| 13 | Islamic Republic of IranIRN | 9.20% | +1.60 pp |
| 14 | FinlandFIN | 9.00% | +0.60 pp |
| 15 | GreeceGRC | 9.00% | −1.10 pp |
| 16 | SwedenSWE | 9.00% | +0.60 pp |
| 17 | AlbaniaALB | 8.70% | −0.10 pp |
| 18 | ChileCHL | 8.60% | +0.10 pp |
| 19 | SerbiaSRB | 8.60% | +0.00 pp |
| 20 | Cabo VerdeCPV | 8.50% | +0.00 pp |
Source: IMF DataMapper API, indicator LUR. Unit: percent of total labour force. The change column is measured in percentage points.
Chart: highest unemployment rates in the Top 20
The chart shows why the top of the table needs careful interpretation: Sudan and South Africa are far above the rest, while ranks 3–20 form a tighter cluster between 8.50% and 13.90%.
Scale is proportional to the highest value in the Top 20. Source: IMF DataMapper LUR 2025 snapshot.
Methodology
The ranking uses the IMF DataMapper unemployment-rate indicator LUR for 2025. The 2024 value is used only to calculate the one-year movement shown in the change column. Countries and territories are ordered from the highest 2025 unemployment rate to the lowest among the 100 entries included in the table.
Formula
Unemployment rate = unemployed people / total labour force × 100. The change column equals the 2025 rate minus the 2024 rate and is shown in percentage points.
Snapshot year
The 2025 snapshot is used because it is the latest comparison year in the selected IMF DataMapper pull. For some economies, the 2025 value may be an IMF estimate or projection.
Coverage
The table includes countries and territories with a returned 2025 LUR value in the IMF series used here. Economies without a 2025 value in that pull are not ranked.
Rounding
Rates are displayed to two decimals. Ranking is based on the numeric values embedded in the table, and equal values remain separate rows rather than being merged.
Cross-country comparability is limited by labour-force definitions, survey coverage, informal work, discouraged workers, conflict disruption, seasonal employment and participation rates. A low unemployment rate can coexist with weak job quality or a small formal labour market. A falling unemployment rate is stronger evidence of labour-market improvement when participation and employment-to-population indicators are also improving.
Full ranking: 100 countries and territories by unemployment rate
The full table contains the 100 economies used in the comparison. Use search and sorting to inspect countries, ISO codes and one-year movements.
| Rank | Country / territory | Unemployment 2025 | Change vs 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SudanSDN | 60.60% | −0.20 pp |
| 2 | South AfricaZAF | 32.70% | +0.10 pp |
| 3 | GeorgiaGEO | 13.90% | +0.00 pp |
| 4 | ArmeniaARM | 13.50% | −0.40 pp |
| 5 | MoroccoMAR | 13.10% | −0.20 pp |
| 6 | North MacedoniaMKD | 12.80% | −0.20 pp |
| 7 | Bosnia and HerzegovinaBIH | 12.60% | +0.00 pp |
| 8 | UkraineUKR | 11.60% | −1.50 pp |
| 9 | SpainESP | 10.80% | −0.50 pp |
| 10 | ColombiaCOL | 10.00% | −0.10 pp |
| 11 | SurinameSUR | 9.50% | −0.80 pp |
| 12 | The BahamasBHS | 9.30% | −0.10 pp |
| 13 | Islamic Republic of IranIRN | 9.20% | +1.60 pp |
| 14 | FinlandFIN | 9.00% | +0.60 pp |
| 15 | GreeceGRC | 9.00% | −1.10 pp |
| 16 | SwedenSWE | 9.00% | +0.60 pp |
| 17 | AlbaniaALB | 8.70% | −0.10 pp |
| 18 | ChileCHL | 8.60% | +0.10 pp |
| 19 | SerbiaSRB | 8.60% | +0.00 pp |
| 20 | Cabo VerdeCPV | 8.50% | +0.00 pp |
| 21 | TürkiyeTUR | 8.30% | −0.40 pp |
| 22 | HondurasHND | 8.00% | +0.00 pp |
| 23 | PakistanPAK | 8.00% | −0.30 pp |
| 24 | PanamaPAN | 8.00% | −1.50 pp |
| 25 | BarbadosBRB | 7.90% | +0.00 pp |
| 26 | EstoniaEST | 7.90% | +0.40 pp |
| 27 | UruguayURY | 7.90% | −0.30 pp |
| 28 | FranceFRA | 7.60% | +0.20 pp |
| 29 | ArgentinaARG | 7.50% | +0.30 pp |
| 30 | Costa RicaCRI | 7.50% | +0.60 pp |
| 31 | EgyptEGY | 7.40% | +0.00 pp |
| 32 | BrazilBRA | 7.10% | +0.20 pp |
| 33 | CanadaCAN | 6.90% | +0.50 pp |
| 34 | ItalyITA | 6.70% | +0.10 pp |
| 35 | LatviaLVA | 6.70% | −0.20 pp |
| 36 | LithuaniaLTU | 6.60% | −0.50 pp |
| 37 | PeruPER | 6.50% | +0.10 pp |
| 38 | PortugalPRT | 6.40% | −0.10 pp |
| 39 | Puerto RicoPRI | 6.40% | +0.80 pp |
| 40 | BelgiumBEL | 6.10% | +0.40 pp |
| 41 | LuxembourgLUX | 6.10% | +0.30 pp |
| 42 | MauritiusMUS | 5.90% | +0.10 pp |
| 43 | RomaniaROU | 5.90% | +0.50 pp |
| 44 | AustriaAUT | 5.70% | +0.50 pp |
| 45 | FijiFJI | 5.50% | −1.00 pp |
| 46 | Slovak RepublicSVK | 5.50% | +0.10 pp |
| 47 | AzerbaijanAZE | 5.30% | −0.10 pp |
| 48 | Dominican RepublicDOM | 5.30% | +0.20 pp |
| 49 | New ZealandNZL | 5.20% | +0.40 pp |
| 50 | ParaguayPRY | 5.20% | −0.60 pp |
| 51 | BoliviaBOL | 5.10% | +0.10 pp |
| 52 | ChinaCHN | 5.10% | +0.00 pp |
| 53 | CroatiaHRV | 5.00% | −0.30 pp |
| 54 | IndonesiaIDN | 5.00% | +0.10 pp |
| 55 | MongoliaMNG | 5.00% | +0.00 pp |
| 56 | UzbekistanUZB | 5.00% | −0.50 pp |
| 57 | IndiaIND | 4.90% | +0.00 pp |
| 58 | Brunei DarussalamBRN | 4.80% | −0.40 pp |
| 59 | El SalvadorSLV | 4.80% | +0.10 pp |
| 60 | United KingdomGBR | 4.70% | +0.40 pp |
| 61 | IrelandIRL | 4.60% | +0.30 pp |
| 62 | KazakhstanKAZ | 4.60% | −0.10 pp |
| 63 | CyprusCYP | 4.50% | −0.40 pp |
| 64 | ArubaABW | 4.40% | +0.10 pp |
| 65 | San MarinoSMR | 4.40% | +0.00 pp |
| 66 | HungaryHUN | 4.30% | −0.20 pp |
| 67 | NorwayNOR | 4.30% | +0.30 pp |
| 68 | AustraliaAUS | 4.20% | +0.20 pp |
| 69 | United StatesUSA | 4.20% | +0.20 pp |
| 70 | EcuadorECU | 4.00% | +0.60 pp |
| 71 | Kyrgyz RepublicKGZ | 4.00% | +0.00 pp |
| 72 | Trinidad and TobagoTTO | 4.00% | −0.90 pp |
| 73 | IcelandISL | 3.90% | +0.50 pp |
| 74 | PhilippinesPHL | 3.90% | +0.10 pp |
| 75 | NetherlandsNLD | 3.80% | +0.10 pp |
| 76 | SloveniaSVN | 3.80% | +0.10 pp |
| 77 | GermanyDEU | 3.70% | +0.30 pp |
| 78 | BulgariaBGR | 3.50% | −0.70 pp |
| 79 | MoldovaMDA | 3.50% | −0.50 pp |
| 80 | Hong Kong SARHKG | 3.40% | +0.40 pp |
| 81 | NicaraguaNIC | 3.40% | +0.00 pp |
| 82 | Taiwan Province of ChinaTWN | 3.40% | +0.00 pp |
| 83 | DenmarkDNK | 3.00% | +0.10 pp |
| 84 | KoreaKOR | 3.00% | +0.20 pp |
| 85 | MalaysiaMYS | 3.00% | −0.20 pp |
| 86 | SeychellesSYC | 3.00% | +0.00 pp |
| 87 | BelarusBLR | 2.90% | −0.10 pp |
| 88 | IsraelISR | 2.90% | −0.10 pp |
| 89 | MexicoMEX | 2.90% | +0.20 pp |
| 90 | PolandPOL | 2.90% | +0.00 pp |
| 91 | SwitzerlandCHE | 2.90% | +0.50 pp |
| 92 | LiechtensteinLIE | 2.70% | +0.00 pp |
| 93 | BelizeBLZ | 2.60% | +0.00 pp |
| 94 | JapanJPN | 2.60% | +0.00 pp |
| 95 | Czech RepublicCZE | 2.50% | −0.10 pp |
| 96 | MaltaMLT | 2.50% | −0.60 pp |
| 97 | Russian FederationRUS | 2.40% | −0.10 pp |
| 98 | VietnamVNM | 2.30% | +0.10 pp |
| 99 | SingaporeSGP | 2.10% | +0.10 pp |
| 100 | Macao SARMAC | 1.70% | −0.10 pp |
Source: IMF DataMapper API, indicator LUR, periods 2024 and 2025. Unit: percent of total labour force. Countries without a returned 2025 LUR value in the selected IMF series are not included. Values are rounded to two decimals. Updated: May 25, 2026.
Insights from the 2025 unemployment distribution
Upper end
Sudan is an extreme outlier, and South Africa is also far above the rest of the list. After these two, the ranking drops quickly into the 10–14% range, where unemployment is still severe but structurally different from the top outliers.
Middle of the table
Many economies between roughly 5% and 8% combine cyclical weakness with longer-term frictions: skills mismatch, regional inequality, labour-market segmentation or weak formal job creation.
Lower end
Countries below 3% should not be interpreted automatically as having perfect labour markets. Very low unemployment can reflect strong job creation, but it can also be influenced by low participation, migration, informality or public-sector absorption.
One-year movement
The largest increases and decreases are small relative to the gap between the top outliers and the rest of the table. This makes the level of unemployment more important than the one-year change for identifying the most stressed labour markets.
What the unemployment ranking means for readers
For workers and households, unemployment is a signal of job-search difficulty, wage pressure and bargaining power. High unemployment often means more competition for vacancies and weaker income security, while falling unemployment can support wage growth if participation remains healthy.
For employers and investors, the indicator helps identify where labour may be available but also where weak demand, skills mismatch or institutional frictions can limit productivity. For public policy, the unemployment rate is most useful when combined with labour-force participation, employment-to-population ratio, youth unemployment, informality and long-term unemployment.
FAQ
Why can unemployment rise even when an economy is recovering?
When conditions improve, more people may start actively looking for work. If job creation does not absorb all new jobseekers quickly, the measured unemployment rate can rise during the early phase of recovery.
Does low unemployment always mean a strong labour market?
No. Low unemployment can coexist with low labour-force participation, high informality or discouraged workers. Employment-to-population, participation and job-quality indicators are needed for a fuller assessment.
Why is the change column shown in percentage points?
Unemployment is already a percentage. The difference between two unemployment rates is therefore shown in percentage points. A move from 8.0% to 9.0% is a +1.0 percentage-point change.
Why can countries with similar unemployment rates have very different labour markets?
The same headline rate can hide different realities. One country may have high formal participation and strong job search, while another may have large informal employment, low participation or a large discouraged-worker population.
Is the 2025 value final for every country?
Not necessarily. IMF WEO/DataMapper snapshots can include estimates or projections for the latest year, especially before final national labour-force data are available. For formal national analysis, the source series and national statistical releases should be checked together.
Sources
The ranking is based on IMF DataMapper LUR values. The other sources support definitions and comparability notes used to explain the labour-force concept and the limits of cross-country unemployment comparisons.
- IMF DataMapper API — LUR unemployment rate, 2024 and 2025.
https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/api/v1/LUR?periods=2024,2025 - IMF Data Portal — World Economic Outlook dataset.
https://data.imf.org/en/datasets/IMF.RES:WEO - OECD — unemployment rate definition.
https://www.oecd.org/en/data/indicators/unemployment-rate.html - ILO — labour force concept.
https://www.ilo.org/resource/labour-force - UN SDG Metadata — Indicator 8.5.2 unemployment rate.
https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/files/Metadata-08-05-02.pdf - Eurostat — unemployment statistics explained.
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Unemployment_statistics
