Lower middle income 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. Djibouti is second with 26% of labour force, 31.5% behind. The top five are Eswatini, Djibouti, West Bank and Gaza, Congo, Rep. and Namibia. The median across all 46 is 5.06% of labour force; Cambodia is last at 0.263% 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
- 5.06% of labour force
- Coverage
- 46 Lower middle income countries
- Data year
- 2025
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | Unemployment rate (% of labour force) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eswatini | 34.2 | 2025 |
| 2 | Djibouti | 26 | 2025 |
| 3 | West Bank and Gaza | 24.4 | 2022 |
| 4 | Congo, Rep. | 19.9 | 2025 |
| 5 | Namibia | 19.3 | 2025 |
| 6 | Lesotho | 16.3 | 2025 |
| 7 | Tunisia | 15.1 | 2025 |
| 8 | Haiti | 14.9 | 2025 |
| 9 | Angola | 14.1 | 2025 |
| 10 | Lebanon | 11 | 2023 |
| 11 | Nepal | 10.5 | 2025 |
| 12 | Mauritania | 10.3 | 2025 |
| 13 | Zimbabwe | 9.29 | 2025 |
| 14 | São Tomé and Principe | 9.13 | 2025 |
| 15 | Morocco | 9 | 2025 |
| 16 | Tajikistan | 6.93 | 2025 |
| 17 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 6.78 | 2025 |
| 18 | Zambia | 5.92 | 2025 |
| 19 | Kenya | 5.45 | 2025 |
| 20 | Pakistan | 5.42 | 2025 |
| 21 | Venezuela, RB | 5.31 | 2025 |
| 22 | Guinea | 5.16 | 2025 |
| 23 | Vanuatu | 5.07 | 2025 |
| 24 | Nicaragua | 5.04 | 2025 |
| 25 | Honduras | 4.92 | 2025 |
| 26 | Uzbekistan | 4.62 | 2025 |
| 27 | India | 4.22 | 2025 |
| 28 | Comoros | 3.82 | 2025 |
| 29 | Bangladesh | 3.78 | 2025 |
| 30 | Cameroon | 3.6 | 2025 |
| 31 | Kyrgyz Republic | 3.53 | 2025 |
| 32 | Bhutan | 3.23 | 2025 |
| 33 | Nigeria | 3.06 | 2025 |
| 34 | Myanmar | 3.05 | 2025 |
| 35 | Ghana | 2.98 | 2025 |
| 36 | Bolivia | 2.97 | 2025 |
| 37 | Senegal | 2.74 | 2025 |
| 38 | Papua New Guinea | 2.57 | 2025 |
| 39 | Côte d'Ivoire | 2.32 | 2025 |
| 40 | Togo | 2 | 2025 |
| 41 | Timor-Leste | 1.59 | 2025 |
| 42 | Benin | 1.59 | 2025 |
| 43 | Tanzania | 1.57 | 2025 |
| 44 | Solomon Islands | 1.43 | 2025 |
| 45 | Lao PDR | 1.19 | 2025 |
| 46 | Cambodia | 0.263 | 2025 |
About the top 10
#1 Eswatini
Eswatini ranks #1 on this list with 34.2% 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 Djibouti
Djibouti ranks #2 on this list with 26% 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).
#3 West Bank and Gaza
West Bank and Gaza ranks #3 on this list with 24.4% of labour force (2022).
- Capital
- Ramallah, East Jerusalem
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 5.41 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$17.17 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$3,171 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 69.2 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 87.4% of population (2025)
Also ranks #5 in unemployment rate · #10 in crop production index · #12 in population density.
#4 Congo, Rep.
Congo, Rep. ranks #4 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.
#5 Namibia
Namibia ranks #5 on this list with 19.3% 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.
#6 Lesotho
Lesotho ranks #6 on this list with 16.3% of labour force.
- Capital
- Maseru
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 2.36 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$2.57 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,089 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 57.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 44.7% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in tax revenue share of gdp · #1 in suicide mortality rate · #2 in agricultural land share.
#7 Tunisia
Tunisia ranks #7 on this list with 15.1% of labour force.
- Capital
- Tunis
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 12.35 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$57.5 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$4,657 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 76.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 70.7% of population (2025)
Also ranks #9 in youth unemployment rate · #9 in gender parity index (school enrolment) · #16 in unemployment rate.
#8 Haiti
Haiti ranks #8 on this list with 14.9% of labour force.
- Capital
- Port-au-Prince
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 11.91 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$32.08 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$2,694 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 65.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 55.6% of population (2025)
Also ranks #2 in prevalence of undernourishment · #4 in time to start a business (days) · #7 in homicide rate.
#9 Angola
Angola ranks #9 on this list with 14.1% of labour force.
- Capital
- Luanda
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 39.04 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$122.17 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$3,130 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 64.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 71.5% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Luanda, Quilamba Quiaxi.
Also ranks #4 in gini index · #4 in oil rents share of gdp · #5 in income share of richest 10%.
#10 Lebanon
Lebanon ranks #10 on this list with 11% of labour force (2023).
- Capital
- Beirut
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 5.85 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$25.97 billion (2024)
- GDP per person
- US$4,473 (2024)
- Life expectancy
- 77.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 91% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Beirut.
Also ranks #1 in official exchange rate · #2 in smoking prevalence · #7 in refugee population by asylum.
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.