Top 100 Countries by Unemployment Rate (%), 2025
Where unemployment is highest in 2025: global country ranking
This ranking compares unemployment rates as a share of the total labour force. The table is ordered from the highest 2025 unemployment rate to the lowest among the countries and territories in the table, using the IMF DataMapper LUR series for 2024 and 2025.
How to read the metric: unemployment counts people without work who are available for work and actively seeking a job. It does not count everyone outside employment, so participation, informality and discouraged workers matter when comparing countries.
Sudan
Middle of the ranked list
Upper tail of the table
DataMapper API
Top 100 unemployment table
Search by country or ISO code, change the sorting order, or switch between the Top 20 and the full Top 100.
| Rank | Country | 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. Unit: percent of total labour force. Countries with no 2025 LUR value in the returned series are not included. Values are rounded to two decimals in the table.
Distribution and biggest movements
The ranking has a long upper tail. Sudan and South Africa sit far above the rest of the table, while most countries cluster between roughly 3% and 9%.
Islamic Republic of Iran +1.60 pp, Puerto Rico +0.80 pp, Ecuador +0.60 pp, Finland +0.60 pp, Sweden +0.60 pp.
Ukraine −1.50 pp, Panama −1.50 pp, Greece −1.10 pp, Fiji −1.00 pp, Trinidad and Tobago −0.90 pp.
Methodology
The ranking uses the IMF DataMapper API unemployment rate indicator LUR for 2025, with 2024 values used to calculate the one-year change. The indicator is expressed as a percentage of the total labour force. Countries and territories are ranked by the 2025 value from highest to lowest.
Values are rounded for display, while the ranking uses the underlying numeric values embedded in the table. The change column shows the difference between the 2025 value and the 2024 value in percentage points. Countries without a 2025 IMF LUR value are excluded.
International comparability has limits. Unemployment depends on labour-force definitions, survey coverage, informality, discouraged workers and participation. A low unemployment rate can still coexist with weak labour-market conditions if many people are outside the labour force or working informally.
Insights
The upper end of the ranking is dominated by countries where labour-market stress is either extreme or persistent. Sudan is a clear outlier, while South Africa remains far above most other countries in the table. The next group, including Georgia, Armenia, Morocco, North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, points to labour-market frictions that cannot be understood from GDP growth alone.
The middle of the table is more mixed. Some countries have unemployment near 6% to 8% because of cyclical slowing, while others reflect structural factors such as skills mismatch, regional inequality, rigid formal hiring or high youth unemployment. The lower end should also be read carefully, because very low measured unemployment can be influenced by informality, migration, public-sector absorption or low participation.
What this means for readers
For workers and households, unemployment is a signal of job-search difficulty, wage pressure and bargaining power. For investors and employers, it helps show where hiring may be easier but also where weak demand or skills mismatch may limit productivity. For policymakers, it helps separate cyclical job weakness from deeper issues such as skills mismatch, regional inequality, weak labour-market matching or low participation.
Read the unemployment rate together with the one-year change and participation data where available. A falling rate is stronger evidence of improvement when employment-to-population and participation are also healthy.
FAQ
Why can unemployment rise during a recovery?
More people may start looking for work when conditions improve. If job creation does not absorb all new jobseekers quickly, measured unemployment can rise even during recovery.
Does low unemployment always mean a strong labour market?
No. Low unemployment can occur alongside low participation, high informality or discouraged workers. Employment-to-population and participation are needed for a fuller picture.
Why use percentage points for the change column?
Unemployment is already a percentage. The difference between two unemployment rates is normally shown in percentage points, not as a percent change.
How should countries be compared fairly?
Use unemployment together with participation, employment-to-population, youth unemployment, informality and long-term unemployment where available.
Sources
- IMF DataMapper API — LUR unemployment rate, 2024 and 2025: IMF DataMapper LUR API
- IMF Data Portal — World Economic Outlook dataset: IMF WEO data portal
- OECD — Unemployment rate definition: OECD indicator page
- ILO — Labour force concept: ILO labour force definition
- UN SDG Metadata — Indicator 8.5.2: UN metadata PDF
- Eurostat — unemployment statistics explained: Eurostat explainer
