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Countries 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 West Bank and Gaza. The median across all 187 is 5.16% of labour force; Qatar is last at 0.13% 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
5.16% of labour force
Coverage
187 countries
Data year
2025
Last updated
2026-11-14
Top 10: Unemployment rateBar chart of the top 10: 1. Eswatini 34.2; 2. South Africa 32.4; 3. Djibouti 26; 4. Botswana 24.5; 5. West Bank and Gaza 24.4; 6. Gabon 20.2; 7. Congo, Rep. 19.9; 8. Namibia 19.3; 9. Somalia, Fed. Rep. 18.9; 10. Libya 18.8.Eswatini34.2South Africa32.4Djibouti26Botswana24.5West Bank and Gaza24.4Gabon20.2Congo, Rep.19.9Namibia19.3Somalia, Fed. Rep.18.9Libya18.8
Top 10: Unemployment rate (% of labour force). Bar chart of the top 10: 1. Eswatini 34.2; 2. South Africa 32.4; 3. Djibouti 26; 4. Botswana 24.5; 5. West Bank and Gaza 24.4; 6. Gabon 20.2; 7. Congo, Rep. 19.9; 8. Namibia 19.3; 9. Somalia, Fed. Rep. 18.9; 10. Libya 18.8.
Unemployment rate over time, top 5Eswatini: 25.2 in 2001 to 34.2 in 2025; South Africa: 22.7 in 2001 to 32.4 in 2025; Djibouti: 26.6 in 2001 to 26 in 2025; Botswana: 18.5 in 2001 to 24.5 in 2025; West Bank and Gaza: 21.5 in 2001 to 24.4 in 2022.09.1218.227.436.5200120132025EswatiniSouth AfricaDjiboutiBotswanaWest Bank and Gaza
Unemployment rate over time, top 5 (% of labour force). Eswatini: 25.2 in 2001 to 34.2 in 2025; South Africa: 22.7 in 2001 to 32.4 in 2025; Djibouti: 26.6 in 2001 to 26 in 2025; Botswana: 18.5 in 2001 to 24.5 in 2025; West Bank and Gaza: 21.5 in 2001 to 24.4 in 2022.

Full ranking

Countries Ranked by Unemployment rate, 2025
RankCountryUnemployment rate (% of labour force)Year
1Eswatini34.22025
2South Africa32.42025
3Djibouti262025
4Botswana24.52025
5West Bank and Gaza24.42022
6Gabon20.22025
7Congo, Rep.19.92025
8Namibia19.32025
9Somalia, Fed. Rep.18.92025
10Libya18.82025
11St. Vincent and the Grenadines182025
12Yemen, Rep.17.32025
13Jordan16.52025
14Lesotho16.32025
15Iraq15.52025
16Tunisia15.12025
17Haiti14.92025
18Angola14.12025
19Montenegro13.62025
20Syrian Arab Republic13.62025
21Afghanistan13.42025
22Armenia12.92025
23South Sudan12.42023
24North Macedonia12.32025
25Georgia12.12025
26Guyana122025
27Cabo Verde11.92025
28French Polynesia11.72025
29Algeria11.62025
30Virgin Islands (US)11.42025
31Rwanda11.42025
32New Caledonia11.22025
33Bosnia and Herzegovina112025
34Lebanon112023
35Albania10.92025
36Nepal10.52025
37Spain10.42025
38Mauritania10.32025
39Ukraine9.832021
40Finland9.462025
41St. Lucia9.452025
42Zimbabwe9.292025
43Bahamas, The9.212025
44São Tomé and Principe9.132025
45Morocco92025
46Chile8.972025
47Belize8.862025
48Sweden8.692025
49Greece8.542025
50Türkiye8.522025
51Panama8.362025
52Equatorial Guinea8.342025
53Estonia8.312025
54Iran, Islamic Rep.8.32025
55Colombia8.292025
56Suriname7.832025
57France7.542025
58Sudan7.532022
59Uruguay7.522025
60Argentina7.152025
61Serbia7.122025
62Tajikistan6.932025
63Canada6.912025
64Costa Rica6.842025
65Egypt, Arab Rep.6.782025
66Lithuania6.732025
67Mozambique6.632025
68Latvia6.572025
69Barbados6.522025
70Gambia, The6.522025
71Italy6.392025
72Luxembourg6.342025
73Central African Republic6.252025
74Channel Islands6.172025
75Portugal6.162025
76Romania5.992025
77Puerto Rico (US)5.992025
78Eritrea5.982025
79Brazil5.972025
80Zambia5.922025
81Belgium5.912025
82Mauritius5.642025
83Austria5.582025
84Guam5.572025
85Denmark5.532025
86Azerbaijan5.462025
87Kenya5.452025
88Pakistan5.422025
89Slovak Republic5.362025
90Fiji5.352025
91Venezuela, RB5.312025
92Brunei Darussalam5.282025
93Mongolia5.232025
94Guinea5.162025
95Peru5.122025
96Dominican Republic5.092025
97New Zealand5.082025
98Vanuatu5.072025
99Malawi5.072025
100Nicaragua5.042025

Showing the top 100 of 187. Premium downloads the full list as CSV or JSON.

About the top 10

#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 youth unemployment rate · #2 in income share of richest 10% · #2 in gini index.

Full country profile

#9 Somalia, Fed. Rep.

Somalia, Fed. Rep. ranks #9 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).

Full country profile

Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.

Related rankings

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.