Countries in South America 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
Guyana ranks #1 with 12% of labour force. Chile is second with 8.97% of labour force, 33.3% behind. The top five are Guyana, Chile, Colombia, Suriname and Uruguay. The median across all 12 is 6.56% of labour force; Bolivia is last at 2.97% of labour force. Guyana's figure has risen 1% since 2001 (11.8% of labour force to 12% of labour force in 2025).
- #1
- Guyana · 12% of labour force
- Median
- 6.56% of labour force
- Coverage
- 12 countries in South America
- Data year
- 2025
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
About the top 10
#1 Guyana
Guyana ranks #1 on this list with 12% of labour force.
- Capital
- Georgetown
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 835,990 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$27.1 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$32,414 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 70.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 26.5% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in gdp growth rate · #1 in industry value added share of gdp · #1 in livestock production index.
#2 Chile
Chile ranks #2 on this list with 8.97% of labour force.
- Capital
- Santiago
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 19.86 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$357.37 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$17,995 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 81.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 89.2% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Santiago, Santo Domingo.
Also ranks #5 in mineral rents share of gdp · #7 in school enrolment (tertiary) · #10 in fish production.
#3 Colombia
Colombia ranks #3 on this list with 8.29% of labour force.
- Capital
- Bogotá
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 53.43 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$457.41 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$8,562 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 77.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 78.8% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Bogotá, Medellín, Cali.
Also ranks #1 in income share of richest 10% · #1 in gini index · #4 in women in ministerial positions share.
#4 Suriname
Suriname ranks #4 on this list with 7.83% of labour force.
- Capital
- Paramaribo
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 639,850 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$4.52 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$7,070 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 73.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 65.8% of population (2025)
Also ranks #2 in forest area share · #3 in irrigated land share · #3 in water resources per capita.
#5 Uruguay
Uruguay ranks #5 on this list with 7.52% of labour force.
- Capital
- Montevideo
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 3.38 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$85.35 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$25,216 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 78.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 95.7% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Montevideo.
Also ranks #1 in atms per 100,000 adults · #3 in agricultural land share · #5 in suicide mortality rate.
#6 Argentina
Argentina ranks #6 on this list with 7.15% of labour force.
- Capital
- Buenos Aires
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 45.85 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$683.1 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$14,898 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 77.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 92.4% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Greater Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Córdoba.
Also ranks #1 in inflation rate · #2 in access to clean cooking fuels · #2 in deposit interest rate.
#7 Brazil
Brazil ranks #7 on this list with 5.97% of labour force.
- Capital
- Brasília
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 212.81 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$2.28 trillion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$10,713 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 76 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 88.2% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Greater Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro.
Also ranks #1 in new businesses registered · #2 in forest area · #3 in external debt stocks.
#8 Venezuela, RB
Venezuela, RB ranks #8 on this list with 5.31% of labour force.
- Capital
- Caracas
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 28.52 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$99.66 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$3,495 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 72.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 89.3% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Caracas, Maracaibo, Valencia.
Also ranks #1 in time to start a business (days) · #3 in protected terrestrial area share · #11 in refugee population by origin.
#9 Peru
Peru ranks #9 on this list with 5.12% of labour force.
- Capital
- Lima
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 34.58 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$334.85 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$9,684 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 77.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 85.6% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Lima, Arequipa.
Also ranks #5 in fish production · #6 in firms using banks to finance investment share · #7 in atms per 100,000 adults.
#10 Paraguay
Paraguay ranks #10 on this list with 4.8% of labour force.
- Capital
- Asunción
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 7.01 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$49.28 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$7,027 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 74 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 70.4% of population (2025)
Also ranks #8 in official exchange rate · #11 in income share of richest 10% · #14 in gini index.
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.