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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

Niger was the country in the world with the lowest youth unemployment rate at only 0.4 percent in 2023. Sub-Saharan Africa is the world region with the highest youth unemployment rates worldwide. Qatar had the second lowest youth unemployment rate in the world at 0.5 percent, followed by Cambodia at 0.7 percent. The unemployment rate only shows the share of youth who have actively registered as unemployed, not the actual share of youth who are out of employment.

Graph and download economic data for Youth Unemployment Rate for Low Income Countries (SLUEM1524ZSLIC) from 1991 to 2024 about income, unemployment, and rate.

In the third quarter of 2025, the unemployment rate in the United Kingdom was highest in Wales, where it was 5.7 percent, followed by England at 5.1 percent, Scotland at 3.7 percent, and 2.4 percent in Northern Ireland, the lowest rate among the four countries of the UK. For all four countries, the peak in unemployment during this period was in the early 2010s. England and Scotland's unemployment rates were highest in Q4 2011 at 8.4 percent and 8.6 percent respectively, with unemployment reaching 9.7 percent in Wales during Q3 2011. Northern Ireland reported its highest unemployment rate in Q1 of 2013 when it reached eight percent. Unemployment ticking up as UK enters 2025 For the United Kingdom as a whole, the unemployment rate was 4.4 percent in November 2024, the joint-highest rate recorded since August 2021. After reaching 8.5 percent in late 2011, unemployment in the UK fell quite consistently for several years, with this recovery interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw unemployment rise to 5.3 percent in late 2020 and early 2021. From this point onwards, however, the labor market bounced back, and was particular strong in 2022 when there were a record number of job vacancies and unemployment fell to as low as 3.6 percent. While the labor market cooled throughout 2023 and 2024, unemployment remained at historically low levels. Overall economy grows but GDP per head falls Throughout the whole of 2024, gross domestic product in the UK grew by 0.9 percent, but in the third quarter of the year, there was no economic growth, followed by the relatively weak growth rate of 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter. Furthermore, GDP per head in the UK, declined for a second-consecutive year, and was just 36,977 pounds in 2024, compared with 37,371 pounds in 2022. Inflation, meanwhile, has fallen from the peak of 11.1 percent in October 2022, but was still at the relatively high rate of 4 percent at the start of 2024, with this falling to 2.5 percent by the end of the year.

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.

Unemployment Rate in Japan remained unchanged at 2.60 percent in October. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - Japan Unemployment Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

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.

United States - Youth Unemployment Rate for Low Income Countries was 9.95% in January of 2024, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Youth Unemployment Rate for Low Income Countries reached a record high of 11.50 in January of 2020 and a record low of 8.78 in January of 1991. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Youth Unemployment Rate for Low Income Countries - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on November of 2025.

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.

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.

Unemployment Rate in India remained unchanged at 5.20 percent in October. This dataset provides - India Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Youth Unemployment Rate for Low and Middle Income Countries was 13.88% in January of 2024, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Youth Unemployment Rate for Low and Middle Income Countries reached a record high of 17.43 in January of 2020 and a record low of 10.03 in January of 1991. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Youth Unemployment Rate for Low and Middle Income Countries - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on November of 2025.

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.