/world/indicators/unemployment_rate
Economy · World

Unemployment, total (% of total labor force)

Share of the labour force that is without work but available for and seeking employment (modelled ILO estimate).

Unit
%
Latest
4.79 (2025)
Coverage
1991–2024
Sources
1 in this build
Data table
Year World (%)
1991 5.119
1992 5.276
1993 5.544
1994 5.789
1995 5.92
1996 5.984
1997 6.01
1998 6.159
1999 6.278
2000 6.111
2001 6.19
2002 6.412
2003 6.484
2004 6.33
2005 6.224
2006 5.974
2007 5.775
2008 5.824
2009 6.41
2010 6.281
2011 6.149
2012 6.152
2013 6.099
2014 5.957
2015 5.999
2016 5.971
2017 5.898
2018 5.76
2019 5.588
2020 6.588
2021 6.046
2022 5.235
2023 4.85
2024 4.806
2025 4.791
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Per-source values, 2025

Source Dataset Value Year Snapshot
World Bank WDI 4.791 2025 2026-08-08

Caveats

Modelled ILO estimate; Nepal's official unemployment figures undercount underemployment and disguised unemployment in subsistence agriculture, a known limitation of the headline unemployment rate for agrarian economies.