Countries Ranked by Unemployment rate in 2000
Unemployment rate for each country in 2000, ranked from highest to lowest. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
In 2000, North Macedonia ranks #1 with 32.2% of labour force. Montenegro is second with 30.4% of labour force, 5.8% behind. The top five are North Macedonia, Montenegro, Algeria, Djibouti and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The median across all 187 is 6.92% of labour force; Pakistan is last at 0.614% of labour force.
- #1
- North Macedonia · 32.2% of labour force
- Median
- 6.92% of labour force
- Coverage
- 187 countries
- Data year
- 2000
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
Showing the top 100 of 187. Premium downloads the full list as CSV or JSON.
About the top 10
#1 North Macedonia
North Macedonia ranks #1 on this list with 32.2% of labour force.
- Capital
- Skopje
- Continent
- Europe
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 1.82 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$19.1 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$10,490 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 76.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 62.9% of population (2025)
Also ranks #5 in smoking prevalence · #19 in gross capital formation rate · #22 in youth unemployment rate.
#2 Montenegro
Montenegro ranks #2 on this list with 30.4% of labour force.
- Capital
- Podgorica
- Continent
- Europe
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 623,130 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$9.23 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$14,817 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 77.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 65.6% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in mobile subscriptions per 100 · #9 in bank branches per 100,000 adults · #10 in smoking prevalence.
#3 Algeria
Algeria ranks #3 on this list with 29.8% of labour force.
- Capital
- Algiers
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 47.44 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$287.03 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$6,051 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 76.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 75.8% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Algiers.
Also ranks #1 in gross capital formation rate · #5 in education expenditure share of gdp · #10 in land area.
#4 Djibouti
Djibouti ranks #4 on this list with 26.7% 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).
#5 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ranks #5 on this list with 25.4% of labour force.
- Capital
- Sarajevo
- Continent
- Europe
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 3.14 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$32.6 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$10,382 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 78 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 52.7% of population (2025)
Also ranks #6 in time to start a business (days) · #7 in death rate · #11 in smoking prevalence.
#6 Eswatini
Eswatini ranks #6 on this list with 24.5% 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.
#7 South Africa
South Africa ranks #7 on this list with 22.8% 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%.
#8 St. Vincent and the Grenadines
St. Vincent and the Grenadines ranks #8 on this list with 20.8% of labour force.
- Capital
- Kingstown
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 99,924 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.26 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$12,562 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 71.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 48% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in homicide rate · #5 in cereal yield · #6 in youth unemployment rate.
#9 Colombia
Colombia ranks #9 on this list with 20.5% 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.
#10 Namibia
Namibia ranks #10 on this list with 20.3% 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.
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 for each country in 2000, 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.