Upper 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
South Africa ranks #1 with 32.4% of labour force. Botswana is second with 24.5% of labour force, 32.3% behind. The top five are South Africa, Botswana, Gabon, Libya and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The median across all 53 is 5.64% of labour force; Thailand is last at 0.781% of labour force. South Africa's figure has risen 43% since 2001 (22.7% of labour force to 32.4% of labour force in 2025).
- #1
- South Africa · 32.4% of labour force
- Median
- 5.64% of labour force
- Coverage
- 53 Upper middle income countries
- Data year
- 2025
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | Unemployment rate (% of labour force) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa | 32.4 | 2025 |
| 2 | Botswana | 24.5 | 2025 |
| 3 | Gabon | 20.2 | 2025 |
| 4 | Libya | 18.8 | 2025 |
| 5 | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 18 | 2025 |
| 6 | Jordan | 16.5 | 2025 |
| 7 | Iraq | 15.5 | 2025 |
| 8 | Montenegro | 13.6 | 2025 |
| 9 | Armenia | 12.9 | 2025 |
| 10 | North Macedonia | 12.3 | 2025 |
| 11 | Georgia | 12.1 | 2025 |
| 12 | Cabo Verde | 11.9 | 2025 |
| 13 | Algeria | 11.6 | 2025 |
| 14 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 11 | 2025 |
| 15 | Albania | 10.9 | 2025 |
| 16 | Ukraine | 9.83 | 2021 |
| 17 | St. Lucia | 9.45 | 2025 |
| 18 | Belize | 8.86 | 2025 |
| 19 | Türkiye | 8.52 | 2025 |
| 20 | Equatorial Guinea | 8.34 | 2025 |
| 21 | Iran, Islamic Rep. | 8.3 | 2025 |
| 22 | Colombia | 8.29 | 2025 |
| 23 | Suriname | 7.83 | 2025 |
| 24 | Argentina | 7.15 | 2025 |
| 25 | Serbia | 7.12 | 2025 |
| 26 | Brazil | 5.97 | 2025 |
| 27 | Mauritius | 5.64 | 2025 |
| 28 | Azerbaijan | 5.46 | 2025 |
| 29 | Fiji | 5.35 | 2025 |
| 30 | Mongolia | 5.23 | 2025 |
| 31 | Peru | 5.12 | 2025 |
| 32 | Dominican Republic | 5.09 | 2025 |
| 33 | Samoa | 5 | 2025 |
| 34 | Paraguay | 4.8 | 2025 |
| 35 | Kazakhstan | 4.77 | 2025 |
| 36 | China | 4.62 | 2025 |
| 37 | Maldives | 4.51 | 2025 |
| 38 | Turkmenistan | 4.27 | 2025 |
| 39 | Sri Lanka | 4.01 | 2025 |
| 40 | Malaysia | 3.76 | 2025 |
| 41 | Belarus | 3.38 | 2025 |
| 42 | Ecuador | 3.31 | 2025 |
| 43 | El Salvador | 3.3 | 2025 |
| 44 | Jamaica | 3.29 | 2025 |
| 45 | Indonesia | 3.24 | 2025 |
| 46 | Mexico | 2.67 | 2025 |
| 47 | Guatemala | 2.6 | 2025 |
| 48 | Philippines | 2.24 | 2025 |
| 49 | Tonga | 2.01 | 2025 |
| 50 | Cuba | 1.75 | 2025 |
| 51 | Viet Nam | 1.52 | 2025 |
| 52 | Moldova | 1.51 | 2025 |
| 53 | Thailand | 0.781 | 2025 |
About the top 10
#1 South Africa
South Africa ranks #1 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 unemployment rate · #2 in youth unemployment rate · #2 in income share of richest 10%.
#2 Botswana
Botswana ranks #2 on this list with 24.5% 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.
#3 Gabon
Gabon ranks #3 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.
#4 Libya
Libya ranks #4 on this list with 18.8% 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.
#5 St. Vincent and the Grenadines
St. Vincent and the Grenadines ranks #5 on this list with 18% 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.
#6 Jordan
Jordan ranks #6 on this list with 16.5% of labour force.
- Capital
- Amman
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 11.52 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$61.61 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$5,348 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 78 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 93.2% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in refugee population by asylum · #8 in youth unemployment rate · #8 in immunisation (measles) rate.
#7 Iraq
Iraq ranks #7 on this list with 15.5% of labour force.
- Capital
- Baghdad
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 47.02 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$254.37 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$5,410 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 72.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 69.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Baghdad, Mosul, Basra.
Also ranks #2 in natural resource rents share of gdp · #2 in oil rents share of gdp · #9 in industry value added share of gdp.
#8 Montenegro
Montenegro ranks #8 on this list with 13.6% 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.
#9 Armenia
Armenia ranks #9 on this list with 12.9% of labour force.
- Capital
- Yerevan
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 3.09 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$29.24 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$9,474 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 78.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 65.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Yerevan.
Also ranks #5 in electricity access rate · #5 in access to electricity (rural) · #7 in female population share.
#10 North Macedonia
North Macedonia ranks #10 on this list with 12.3% 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.
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.