In 2023, South Africa had the highest unemployment rate in the world, at 32.1 percent. Of the 10 countries with the highest unemployment rates, six were in Sub-Saharan Africa. What exactly is unemployment? The unemployment rate is the number of people in the workforce currently looking for jobs but not working. This number does not include students and retirees, as they are not looking for work, nor does it include people who have given up on finding a job (known as discouraged workers). Comparing international unemployment rates can be problematic, however, as different countries use different methodologies when classifying unemployment. For example, Niger records the third lowest unemployment rate in the world, despite often being listed as the least developed country worldwide - this is because the majority of the population engage in subsistence farming, with very little opportunity for paid employment. Causes of unemployment in less developed countries A major driver in unemployment in these countries is conflict. In particular, internally displaced persons (IDPs) want to work, but moving to another part of the country disrupts their business network and moves them into a local economy with different labor demand. Countries with low levels of economic development, as roughly indicated by a low GDP per capita, often have fewer labor market opportunities, leading to high unemployment rates.

As of March 2025, South Africa had the highest unemployment rate among the 19* countries that are members of the G20. The unemployment rate in South Africa stood at **** percent that year. The country has recently been plagued by an economic downturn, including energy shortages and high unemployment levels. On the other hand, Japan had the lowest unemployment rate at just *** percent. Economic inequality in South Africa Not only does South Africa top the G20 in overall unemployment, but it also has a significant level of youth unemployment, as nearly half of the young population is unemployed. Thirty years after the end of Apartheid, South Africa is also still one of the most unequal countries in the world, with a Gini score of ****. The prominence of inequality in the country makes escaping unemployment and underemployment difficult. Japanese economic slowdown While Japan had the lowest unemployment rate out of all G20 nations, as well as the lowest youth unemployment rate out of the G20 nations, Japan’s economy is still facing many challenges. With an aging population, the total Japanese population is facing a rapid decline, meaning that it will struggle to have enough workers participating in the labor market. Despite this, Japan maintains strict immigration policies, limiting the chances for foreign workers to move to Japan. Moreover, Japan has the second lowest fertility rate out of the G7 nations and one of the lowest fertility rates globally, adding another challenge in addressing population shrinkage.

The average for 2025 based on 101 countries was 6.64 percent. The highest value was in Sudan: 61.99 percent and the lowest value was in Thailand: 1 percent. The indicator is available from 1980 to 2030. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

This dataset provides values for UNEMPLOYMENT RATE reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

Among European Union countries in July 2025, Spain had the highest unemployment rate at 10.4 percent, followed by Finland at 10 percent. By contrast, Malta has the lowest unemployment rate in Europe, at 2.6 percent. The overall rate of unemployment in the European Union was 5.9 percent in the same month - a historical low-point for unemployment in the EU, which had been at over 10 percent for much of the 2010s.

The average for 2023 based on 177 countries was 15.77 percent. The highest value was in Djibouti: 76.27 percent and the lowest value was in Niger: 0.42 percent. The indicator is available from 1991 to 2024. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

This dataset provides values for UNEMPLOYMENT RATE reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in member states of the European Union in July 2025. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Spain in July 2025 was 10.4 percent. The unemployment rate represents the share of the unemployed in all potential employees available to the job market. Unemployment rates in the EU The unemployment rate is an important measure of a country or region’s economic health, and despite unemployment levels in the European Union falling slightly from a peak in early 2013 , they remain high, especially in comparison to what the rates were before the worldwide recession started in 2008. This confirms the continuing stagnation in European markets, which hits young jobseekers particularly hard as they struggle to compete against older, more experienced workers for a job, suffering under jobless rates twice as high as general unemployment. Some companies, such as Microsoft and Fujitsu, have created thousands of jobs in some of the countries which have particularly dire unemployment rates, creating a beacon of hope. However, some industries such as information technology, face the conundrum of a deficit of qualified workers in the local unemployed work force, and have to hire workers from abroad instead of helping decrease the local unemployment rates. This skills mismatch has no quick solution, as workers require time for retraining to fill the openings in the growing science-, technology-, or engineering-based jobs, and too few students choose degrees that would help them obtain these positions. Worldwide unemployment also remains high, with the rates being worst in the Middle East and North Africa. Estimates by the International Labour Organization predict that the problem will stabilize in coming years, but not improve until at least 2017.

As of April 2024, the Latin American country with the highest unemployment rate among the nations shown was Colombia, with around 10 percent of its economically active population being unemployed. In contrast, Mexico ranked as the country with the lowest unemployment rate of the region.

The average for 2024 based on 45 countries was 5.46 percent. The highest value was in Jordan: 18 percent and the lowest value was in Qatar: 0.13 percent. The indicator is available from 1991 to 2024. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The average for 2024 based on 19 countries was 6.88 percent. The highest value was in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: 18.06 percent and the lowest value was in Guatemala: 2.22 percent. The indicator is available from 1991 to 2024. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Several of the countries with the highest youth unemployment rates worldwide in 2024 are located in Africa. Djibouti had the highest rate at 76.32 percent, followed by South Africa and Eswatini.

The average for 2023 based on 177 countries was 8.15 percent. The highest value was in Swaziland: 36.7 percent and the lowest value was in Cambodia: 0.25 percent. The indicator is available from 1991 to 2024. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

This dataset provides values for YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT RATE reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

The average for 2024 based on 11 countries was 2.59 percent. The highest value was in Brunei: 5.14 percent and the lowest value was in Cambodia: 0.27 percent. The indicator is available from 1991 to 2024. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

From the second quarter of 2022, France was the country of those included in the chart with the highest unemployment rates. During the first quarter of 2024, the European country registered an unemployment rate of **** percent. In the same quarter, Japan had the lowest unemployment rates of the countries included. China does not release quarterly unemployment rate statistics anymore. Monthly unemployment data can be found here.

The average for 2024 based on 7 countries was 4.97 percent. The highest value was in France: 7.37 percent and the lowest value was in Japan: 2.56 percent. The indicator is available from 1991 to 2024. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

This dataset provides values for UNEMPLOYMENT RATE reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

Graph and download economic data for Youth Unemployment Rate for High Income OECD Countries (SLUEM1524ZSOEC) from 1991 to 2014 about OECD Economies, income, unemployment, and rate.

As of 2023, Italy had the highest unemployment rate of the G7 countries, reaching 7.6 percent. Especially in Canada and the United States, the unemployment rate rose sharply in 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Japan had the lowest unemployment rate at just 2.6 percent. Slowed growth of the Japanese economy and society While Japan had the lowest unemployment rate, it also experienced a slow wage growth. Wages in Japan are known to be stagnant, with many workers going years without experiencing any wage growth in their roles. One contributing factor to its low unemployment rate is its shrinking population. As the population continues to decrease, there is less competition for work. However, this introduces other problems for Japanese society, as it also has a rapidly aging population that requires long-term care. Unemployment in Italy: The divide between Northern and Southern Italy Not only does Italy have the highest unemployment rate out of the G7, but it has the second-highest unemployment rate of Europe's largest economies. Furthermore, Italy has significant levels of youth unemployment, with the majority of youth unemployment lying within southern regions of the country. The economic divide between Northern and Southern Italy is significant, and can be attributed to differences in industralization and economic diversification. The prominence of this divide has had wider impacts on Italian politics and society.