Countries Ranked by Unemployment rate in 2023
Unemployment rate for each country in 2023, ranked from highest to lowest. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
In 2023, Eswatini ranks #1 with 34.6% of labour force. South Africa is second with 32.1% of labour force, 7.8% behind. The top five are Eswatini, South Africa, Djibouti, Botswana and Gabon. The median across all 184 is 5.21% of labour force; Qatar is last at 0.13% of labour force.
- #1
- Eswatini · 34.6% of labour force
- Median
- 5.21% of labour force
- Coverage
- 184 countries
- Data year
- 2023
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
Showing the top 100 of 184. Premium downloads the full list as CSV or JSON.
About the top 10
#1 Eswatini
Eswatini ranks #1 on this list with 34.6% 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 32.1% 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 26.1% 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 23.4% 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 19.2% 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 19% 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 18.7% 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 St. Vincent and the Grenadines
St. Vincent and the Grenadines ranks #10 on this list with 18.3% 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.
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 2023, 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.