Countries in Africa Ranked by Unemployment rate (2025)
Unemployment rate: each country's latest value (2020–2025), ranked from highest to lowest. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Eswatini ranks #1 with 34.2% of labour force. South Africa is second with 32.4% of labour force, 5.6% behind. The top five are Eswatini, South Africa, Djibouti, Botswana and Gabon. The median across all 53 is 5.98% of labour force; Niger is last at 0.394% of labour force. Eswatini's figure has risen 36% since 2001 (25.2% of labour force to 34.2% of labour force in 2025).
- #1
- Eswatini · 34.2% of labour force
- Median
- 5.98% of labour force
- Coverage
- 53 countries in Africa
- Data year
- 2025
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | Unemployment rate (% of labour force) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eswatini | 34.2 | 2025 |
| 2 | South Africa | 32.4 | 2025 |
| 3 | Djibouti | 26 | 2025 |
| 4 | Botswana | 24.5 | 2025 |
| 5 | Gabon | 20.2 | 2025 |
| 6 | Congo, Rep. | 19.9 | 2025 |
| 7 | Namibia | 19.3 | 2025 |
| 8 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 18.9 | 2025 |
| 9 | Libya | 18.8 | 2025 |
| 10 | Lesotho | 16.3 | 2025 |
| 11 | Tunisia | 15.1 | 2025 |
| 12 | Angola | 14.1 | 2025 |
| 13 | South Sudan | 12.4 | 2023 |
| 14 | Cabo Verde | 11.9 | 2025 |
| 15 | Algeria | 11.6 | 2025 |
| 16 | Rwanda | 11.4 | 2025 |
| 17 | Mauritania | 10.3 | 2025 |
| 18 | Zimbabwe | 9.29 | 2025 |
| 19 | São Tomé and Principe | 9.13 | 2025 |
| 20 | Morocco | 9 | 2025 |
| 21 | Equatorial Guinea | 8.34 | 2025 |
| 22 | Sudan | 7.53 | 2022 |
| 23 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 6.78 | 2025 |
| 24 | Mozambique | 6.63 | 2025 |
| 25 | Gambia, The | 6.52 | 2025 |
| 26 | Central African Republic | 6.25 | 2025 |
| 27 | Eritrea | 5.98 | 2025 |
| 28 | Zambia | 5.92 | 2025 |
| 29 | Mauritius | 5.64 | 2025 |
| 30 | Kenya | 5.45 | 2025 |
| 31 | Guinea | 5.16 | 2025 |
| 32 | Malawi | 5.07 | 2025 |
| 33 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 4.43 | 2025 |
| 34 | Comoros | 3.82 | 2025 |
| 35 | Cameroon | 3.6 | 2025 |
| 36 | Burkina Faso | 3.48 | 2025 |
| 37 | Ethiopia | 3.32 | 2025 |
| 38 | Sierra Leone | 3.15 | 2025 |
| 39 | Nigeria | 3.06 | 2025 |
| 40 | Madagascar | 3.04 | 2025 |
| 41 | Ghana | 2.98 | 2025 |
| 42 | Liberia | 2.88 | 2025 |
| 43 | Mali | 2.83 | 2025 |
| 44 | Uganda | 2.75 | 2025 |
| 45 | Senegal | 2.74 | 2025 |
| 46 | Guinea-Bissau | 2.67 | 2025 |
| 47 | Côte d'Ivoire | 2.32 | 2025 |
| 48 | Togo | 2 | 2025 |
| 49 | Benin | 1.59 | 2025 |
| 50 | Tanzania | 1.57 | 2025 |
| 51 | Chad | 1.06 | 2025 |
| 52 | Burundi | 0.922 | 2025 |
| 53 | Niger | 0.394 | 2025 |
About the top 10
#1 Eswatini
Eswatini ranks #1 on this list with 34.2% of labour force.
- Capital
- Mbabane, Lobamba
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 1.26 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$5.16 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$4,108 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 64.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 26.7% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in unemployment rate · #1 in hiv prevalence · #3 in youth unemployment rate.
#2 South Africa
South Africa ranks #2 on this list with 32.4% of labour force.
- Capital
- Pretoria, Cape Town
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 64.75 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$427.18 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$6,598 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 66.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 63.8% of population (2025)
Largest cities: City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, Johannesburg, Cape Town.
Also ranks #2 in unemployment rate · #2 in youth unemployment rate · #2 in income share of richest 10%.
#3 Djibouti
Djibouti ranks #3 on this list with 26% of labour force.
- Capital
- Djibouti
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 1.18 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$4.62 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$3,906 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 66.2 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 73% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in youth unemployment rate · #3 in unemployment rate · #4 in prevalence of wasting (under-5).
#4 Botswana
Botswana ranks #4 on this list with 24.5% of labour force.
- Capital
- Gaborone
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 2.56 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$19.93 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$7,778 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 69.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 68% of population (2025)
Also ranks #4 in unemployment rate · #4 in hiv prevalence · #5 in youth unemployment rate.
#5 Gabon
Gabon ranks #5 on this list with 20.2% of labour force.
- Capital
- Libreville
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 2.59 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$21.43 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$8,263 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 68.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 92.1% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in forest area share · #4 in renewable energy share · #6 in unemployment rate.
#6 Congo, Rep.
Congo, Rep. ranks #6 on this list with 19.9% of labour force.
- Capital
- Brazzaville
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 6.48 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$16.31 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$2,515 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 66 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 64.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire.
Also ranks #3 in oil rents share of gdp · #4 in natural resource rents share of gdp · #7 in unemployment rate.
#7 Namibia
Namibia ranks #7 on this list with 19.3% of labour force.
- Capital
- Windhoek
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 3.09 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$15.08 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$4,876 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 50.9% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in women in ministerial positions share · #2 in tax revenue share of gdp · #4 in education expenditure share of gdp.
#8 Somalia, Fed. Rep.
Somalia, Fed. Rep. ranks #8 on this list with 18.9% of labour force.
- Capital
- Mogadishu
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 19.66 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$13 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$661.2 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 59 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 55.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: North East State of Somalia, Mogadishu.
Also ranks #1 in prevalence of undernourishment · #2 in population ages 0-14 share · #2 in age dependency ratio (young).
#9 Libya
Libya ranks #9 on this list with 18.8% of labour force.
- Capital
- Tripoli
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 7.46 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$48.1 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$6,449 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 71.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 87.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Tripoli.
Also ranks #1 in natural resource rents share of gdp · #1 in oil rents share of gdp · #2 in industry value added share of gdp.
#10 Lesotho
Lesotho ranks #10 on this list with 16.3% of labour force.
- Capital
- Maseru
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 2.36 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$2.57 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,089 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 57.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 44.7% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in tax revenue share of gdp · #1 in suicide mortality rate · #2 in agricultural land share.
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Unemployment rate: each country's latest value (2020–2025), ranked from highest to lowest.
Source: The World Bank, indicator SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.
The World Bank: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate): ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO) (via World Development Indicators)
Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Values are shown as published. Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.