Countries in Oceania 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
French Polynesia ranks #1 with 11.7% of labour force. New Caledonia is second with 11.2% of labour force, 4.4% behind. The top five are French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Guam, Fiji and New Zealand. The median across all 11 is 5.07% of labour force; Solomon Islands is last at 1.43% of labour force.
- #1
- French Polynesia · 11.7% of labour force
- Median
- 5.07% of labour force
- Coverage
- 11 countries in Oceania
- Data year
- 2025
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | Unemployment rate (% of labour force) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | French Polynesia | 11.7 |
| 2 | New Caledonia | 11.2 |
| 3 | Guam | 5.57 |
| 4 | Fiji | 5.35 |
| 5 | New Zealand | 5.08 |
| 6 | Vanuatu | 5.07 |
| 7 | Samoa | 5 |
| 8 | Australia | 4.09 |
| 9 | Papua New Guinea | 2.57 |
| 10 | Tonga | 2.01 |
| 11 | Solomon Islands | 1.43 |
About the top 10
#1 French Polynesia
French Polynesia ranks #1 on this list with 11.7% of labour force.
- Capital
- Papeete
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 282,470 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$6.32 billion (2024)
- GDP per person
- US$22,440 (2024)
- Life expectancy
- 84.2 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 61.8% of population (2025)
Also ranks #5 in female life expectancy · #5 in protected marine area share · #7 in life expectancy.
#2 New Caledonia
New Caledonia ranks #2 on this list with 11.2% of labour force.
- Capital
- Nouméa
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 295,330 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$8.55 billion (2024)
- GDP per person
- US$29,213 (2024)
- Life expectancy
- 78.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 68.2% of population (2025)
Also ranks #2 in protected terrestrial area share · #4 in protected marine area share · #4 in mineral rents share of gdp.
#3 Guam
Guam ranks #3 on this list with 5.57% of labour force.
- Capital
- Hagåtña
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 169,000 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$6.91 billion (2022)
- GDP per person
- US$41,833 (2022)
- Life expectancy
- 77.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 94.2% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in voice and accountability score · #16 in nurses and midwives per 1,000 · #16 in diabetes prevalence.
#4 Fiji
Fiji ranks #4 on this list with 5.35% of labour force.
- Capital
- Suva
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 933,150 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$6.2 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$6,642 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 59.5% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in mobile subscriptions per 100 · #5 in completion rate (primary) · #6 in livestock production index.
#5 New Zealand
New Zealand ranks #5 on this list with 5.08% of labour force.
- Capital
- Wellington
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 5.32 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$264.06 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$49,591 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 82 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 84% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Auckland.
Also ranks #3 in voice and accountability score · #4 in tax revenue share of gdp · #4 in control of corruption score.
#6 Vanuatu
Vanuatu ranks #6 on this list with 5.07% of labour force.
- Capital
- Port Vila
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 335,170 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.35 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$4,039 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 71.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 22.3% of population (2025)
Also ranks #6 in school enrolment (secondary) · #6 in completion rate (primary) · #9 in rural population share.
#7 Samoa
Samoa ranks #7 on this list with 5% of labour force.
- Capital
- Apia
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 219,310 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.29 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$5,873 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 71.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 17.5% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in rural population share · #4 in diabetes prevalence · #16 in age dependency ratio.
#8 Australia
Australia ranks #8 on this list with 4.09% of labour force.
- Capital
- Canberra
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 27.61 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.8 trillion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$65,130 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 83.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 87.7% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane.
Also ranks #2 in regulatory quality score · #3 in access to clean cooking fuels · #4 in new businesses registered.
#9 Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea ranks #9 on this list with 2.57% of labour force.
- Capital
- Port Moresby
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 10.76 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$32.5 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$3,020 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 66.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 15.8% of population (2025)
Also ranks #2 in rural population share · #5 in water resources per capita · #6 in smoking prevalence.
#10 Tonga
Tonga ranks #10 on this list with 2.01% of labour force.
- Capital
- Nukuʻalofa
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 103,740 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$679.22 million (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$6,547 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 73.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 21.2% of population (2025)
Also ranks #7 in rural population share · #10 in completion rate (primary) · #11 in income share of poorest 10%.
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.