Countries by Unemployment Rate 2026

Eswatini leads all nations in unemployment rate with 34.2%, compared to Qatar at 0.1% — a 263.1-fold difference across 181 countries. The global median unemployment rate is 5.1%, meaning half the world's nations fall below this threshold. The top-ranked country's unemployment rate exceeds the global median by 573.8%, illustrating the substantial concentration found in the upper tier of this ranking. The spread between the 1st-ranked and last-ranked countries underscores the wide variation in unemployment rate across nations at different stages of development. Data reflects World Bank estimates for 2025.

Rank↑Country↕%↕
1Flag of EswatiniEswatini34.2%
2Flag of South AfricaSouth Africa32.4%
3Flag of DjiboutiDjibouti26.0%
#4Flag of BotswanaBotswana24.5%
#5Flag of GabonGabon20.2%
#6Flag of Republic of the CongoRepublic of the Congo19.9%
#7Flag of NamibiaNamibia19.3%
#8Flag of SomaliaSomalia18.9%
#9Flag of LibyaLibya18.8%
#10Flag of Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesSaint Vincent and the Grenadines18.0%
#11Flag of YemenYemen17.3%
#12Flag of JordanJordan16.5%
#13Flag of LesothoLesotho16.3%
#14Flag of IraqIraq15.5%
#15Flag of TunisiaTunisia15.1%
#16Flag of HaitiHaiti14.9%
#17Flag of AngolaAngola14.1%
#18Flag of MontenegroMontenegro13.6%
#19Flag of SyriaSyria13.6%
#20Flag of AfghanistanAfghanistan13.4%
#21Flag of ArmeniaArmenia12.9%
#22Flag of North MacedoniaNorth Macedonia12.3%
#23Flag of GeorgiaGeorgia12.1%
#24Flag of GuyanaGuyana12.0%
#25Flag of Cape VerdeCape Verde11.9%
#26Flag of French PolynesiaFrench Polynesia11.7%
#27Flag of AlgeriaAlgeria11.6%
#28Flag of United States Virgin IslandsUnited States Virgin Islands11.4%
#29Flag of RwandaRwanda11.4%
#30Flag of New CaledoniaNew Caledonia11.2%
#31Flag of Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina11.0%
#32Flag of AlbaniaAlbania10.9%
#33Flag of NepalNepal10.5%
#34Flag of SpainSpain10.4%
#35Flag of MauritaniaMauritania10.3%
#36Flag of FinlandFinland9.5%
#37Flag of Saint LuciaSaint Lucia9.5%
#38Flag of ZimbabweZimbabwe9.3%
#39Flag of BahamasBahamas9.2%
#40Flag of São Tomé and PríncipeSão Tomé and Príncipe9.1%
#41Flag of MoroccoMorocco9.0%
#42Flag of ChileChile9.0%
#43Flag of BelizeBelize8.9%
#44Flag of SwedenSweden8.7%
#45Flag of GreeceGreece8.5%
#46Flag of TurkeyTurkey8.5%
#47Flag of PanamaPanama8.4%
#48Flag of Equatorial GuineaEquatorial Guinea8.3%
#49Flag of EstoniaEstonia8.3%
#50Flag of IranIran8.3%
#51Flag of ColombiaColombia8.3%
#52Flag of SurinameSuriname7.8%
#53Flag of FranceFrance7.5%
#54Flag of UruguayUruguay7.5%
#55Flag of ArgentinaArgentina7.1%
#56Flag of SerbiaSerbia7.1%
#57Flag of TajikistanTajikistan6.9%
#58Flag of CanadaCanada6.9%
#59Flag of Costa RicaCosta Rica6.8%
#60Flag of EgyptEgypt6.8%
#61Flag of LithuaniaLithuania6.7%
#62Flag of MozambiqueMozambique6.6%
#63Flag of LatviaLatvia6.6%
#64Flag of BarbadosBarbados6.5%
#65Flag of GambiaGambia6.5%
#66Flag of ItalyItaly6.4%
#67Flag of LuxembourgLuxembourg6.3%
#68Flag of Central African RepublicCentral African Republic6.3%
#69Flag of PortugalPortugal6.2%
#70Flag of RomaniaRomania6.0%
#71Flag of Puerto RicoPuerto Rico6.0%
#72Flag of EritreaEritrea6.0%
#73Flag of BrazilBrazil6.0%
#74Flag of ZambiaZambia5.9%
#75Flag of BelgiumBelgium5.9%
#76Flag of MauritiusMauritius5.6%
#77Flag of AustriaAustria5.6%
#78Flag of GuamGuam5.6%
#79Flag of DenmarkDenmark5.5%
#80Flag of AzerbaijanAzerbaijan5.5%
#81Flag of KenyaKenya5.4%
#82Flag of PakistanPakistan5.4%
#83Flag of SlovakiaSlovakia5.4%
#84Flag of FijiFiji5.3%
#85Flag of VenezuelaVenezuela5.3%
#86Flag of BruneiBrunei5.3%
#87Flag of MongoliaMongolia5.2%
#88Flag of GuineaGuinea5.2%
#89Flag of PeruPeru5.1%
#90Flag of Dominican RepublicDominican Republic5.1%
#91Flag of New ZealandNew Zealand5.1%
#92Flag of VanuatuVanuatu5.1%
#93Flag of MalawiMalawi5.1%
#94Flag of NicaraguaNicaragua5.0%
#95Flag of CroatiaCroatia5.0%
#96Flag of SamoaSamoa5.0%
#97Flag of CyprusCyprus4.9%
#98Flag of HondurasHonduras4.9%
#99Flag of SwitzerlandSwitzerland4.9%
#100Flag of ParaguayParaguay4.8%
#101Flag of KazakhstanKazakhstan4.8%
#102Flag of United KingdomUnited Kingdom4.7%
#103Flag of NorwayNorway4.6%
#104Flag of IrelandIreland4.6%
#105Flag of UzbekistanUzbekistan4.6%
#106Flag of ChinaChina4.6%
#107Flag of HungaryHungary4.5%
#108Flag of MaldivesMaldives4.5%
#109Flag of DR CongoDR Congo4.4%
#110Flag of TurkmenistanTurkmenistan4.3%
#111Flag of IndiaIndia4.2%
#112Flag of United StatesUnited States4.2%
#113Flag of AustraliaAustralia4.1%
#114Flag of Sri LankaSri Lanka4.0%
#115Flag of NetherlandsNetherlands3.9%
#116Flag of ComorosComoros3.8%
#117Flag of BangladeshBangladesh3.8%
#118Flag of MalaysiaMalaysia3.8%
#119Flag of GermanyGermany3.7%
#120Flag of IcelandIceland3.6%
#121Flag of CameroonCameroon3.6%
#122Flag of North KoreaNorth Korea3.5%
#123Flag of BulgariaBulgaria3.5%
#124Flag of KyrgyzstanKyrgyzstan3.5%
#125Flag of IsraelIsrael3.5%
#126Flag of Burkina FasoBurkina Faso3.5%
#127Flag of BelarusBelarus3.4%
#128Flag of Trinidad and TobagoTrinidad and Tobago3.3%
#129Flag of EthiopiaEthiopia3.3%
#130Flag of EcuadorEcuador3.3%
#131Flag of El SalvadorEl Salvador3.3%
#132Flag of JamaicaJamaica3.3%
#133Flag of OmanOman3.3%
#134Flag of IndonesiaIndonesia3.2%
#135Flag of BhutanBhutan3.2%
#136Flag of SloveniaSlovenia3.2%
#137Flag of Sierra LeoneSierra Leone3.1%
#138Flag of NigeriaNigeria3.1%
#139Flag of MyanmarMyanmar3.0%
#140Flag of MadagascarMadagascar3.0%
#141Flag of Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia3.0%
#142Flag of GhanaGhana3.0%
#143Flag of PolandPoland3.0%
#144Flag of BoliviaBolivia3.0%
#145Flag of MaltaMalta2.9%
#146Flag of LiberiaLiberia2.9%
#147Flag of MaliMali2.8%
#148Flag of CzechiaCzechia2.8%
#149Flag of SingaporeSingapore2.8%
#150Flag of Hong KongHong Kong2.8%
#151Flag of UgandaUganda2.7%
#152Flag of SenegalSenegal2.7%
#153Flag of South KoreaSouth Korea2.7%
#154Flag of MexicoMexico2.7%
#155Flag of Guinea-BissauGuinea-Bissau2.7%
#156Flag of GuatemalaGuatemala2.6%
#157Flag of Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea2.6%
#158Flag of JapanJapan2.5%
#159Flag of MacauMacau2.3%
#160Flag of Ivory CoastIvory Coast2.3%
#161Flag of PhilippinesPhilippines2.2%
#162Flag of KuwaitKuwait2.2%
#163Flag of United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates2.2%
#164Flag of RussiaRussia2.1%
#165Flag of TongaTonga2.0%
#166Flag of TogoTogo2.0%
#167Flag of CubaCuba1.7%
#168Flag of Timor-LesteTimor-Leste1.6%
#169Flag of BeninBenin1.6%
#170Flag of TanzaniaTanzania1.6%
#171Flag of VietnamVietnam1.5%
#172Flag of MoldovaMoldova1.5%
#173Flag of Solomon IslandsSolomon Islands1.4%
#174Flag of LaosLaos1.2%
#175Flag of BahrainBahrain1.1%
#176Flag of ChadChad1.1%
#177Flag of BurundiBurundi0.9%
#178Flag of ThailandThailand0.8%
#179Flag of NigerNiger0.4%
#180Flag of CambodiaCambodia0.3%
#181Flag of QatarQatar0.1%

Top Countries Analysis

Eswatini (34.2%) leads all nations in unemployment rate. The gap between Eswatini and the 2nd-ranked South Africa (32.4%) is 5.6%, a difference that reflects deep structural advantages rather than marginal variation. South Africa itself sits 24.5% ahead of 3rd-ranked Djibouti (26.0%), indicating that the top tier is not a cluster but a graduated hierarchy. Djibouti leads 4th-placed Botswana (24.5%) by 6.3%. Rounding out the top five, Gabon records 20.2%, sitting 21.4% behind Botswana. Collectively, these five countries account for 11.3% of the total unemployment rate measured across all 181 ranked nations, highlighting how concentrated this metric is at the top of the distribution.

Global Distribution

The median unemployment rate across all 181 countries is 5.1%, meaning half the world's nations fall below this threshold. The mean unemployment rate of 6.7% is above the median, indicating a right-skewed distribution driven by high-value outliers pulling the average away from the center of the distribution. The interquartile range spans from 8.5% at the 25th percentile to 3.2% at the 75th percentile, a -62.7% spread that captures the typical variation among the middle half of all ranked countries. Countries at the 25th percentile, represented by Turkey (8.5%), stand substantially below the median, while countries near the 75th percentile, such as Slovenia (3.2%), approach the upper quarter of the ranking. This distributional shape has important implications for global policy comparisons: simple averages overstate the typical country's unemployment rate when the distribution is right-skewed, and the median provides a more representative benchmark for most nations.

Regional Breakdown

Regional patterns in unemployment rate are pronounced. Other accounts for 8 of the top 10 countries by unemployment rate, led by Eswatini, Djibouti, Botswana. The full top-10 regional distribution is: Other: 8, Africa: 2. At the other end of the ranking, Other represents 6 of the bottom 10 countries, including Moldova, Solomon Islands, Laos. The bottom-10 regional breakdown is: Other: 6, Africa: 3, Asia: 1. These geographic concentrations reflect underlying structural factors including historical development trajectories, geographic endowments, and regional integration, rather than any single policy variable.

Bottom of the Rankings

Qatar's unemployment rate of 0.1% is 97.4% below the global median of 5.1%. Cambodia's unemployment rate of 0.3% is 94.8% below the global median of 5.1%. Niger's unemployment rate of 0.4% is 92.2% below the global median of 5.1%. The bottom of the unemployment rate ranking is predominantly shaped by economies where structural mismatches between skills and available jobs, or dependence on volatile sectors, result in persistently high joblessness. These low positions do not necessarily reflect recent decline; in many cases they represent long-standing structural conditions that change slowly. Policy interventions, international aid, and regional cooperation have produced meaningful improvements in some bottom-ranked countries over the past two decades, even when those improvements are not yet sufficient to move them out of the lowest tier.

Data Methodology

Unemployment rate represents the share of the labor force that is without work, actively seeking employment, and currently available to take up a job, expressed as a percentage. Data is sourced from the World Bank WDI database, drawing on national labor force surveys harmonized by the International Labour Organization (ILO). The ILO standard definition adopted in 2013 sets the benchmark, but countries apply the concept differently, particularly regarding the "actively seeking" criterion and the treatment of discouraged workers. Structural differences in informal employment mean that unemployment statistics understate labor market slack in many developing economies where workers take any available informal work rather than remaining unemployed. Seasonal adjustment practices also vary. Data may lag by one to two years and is revised as surveys are updated. Youth unemployment (ages 15-24) is a separate, typically higher, indicator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has the highest unemployment rate?

Eswatini has the highest unemployment rate among all ranked countries, at 34.2%. This places it 5.6% ahead of 2nd-ranked South Africa (32.4%). The gap between the top-ranked country and the global median of 5.1% is 573.8%, underscoring how far Eswatini exceeds the typical nation on this measure. Data is sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators database.

What is the global average unemployment rate?

The global mean unemployment rate across all 181 ranked countries is 6.7%. However, the mean is above the median of 5.1%, indicating the distribution is right-skewed by high-value outliers. For most comparative purposes, the median is a more representative central value because it is not distorted by extreme top or bottom observations. The 25th percentile sits at 8.5% and the 75th percentile at 3.2%.

How many countries are ranked by unemployment rate?

This ranking includes 181 countries for which sufficient unemployment rate data is available from the World Bank World Development Indicators database. Countries are excluded when data is missing for the most recent available year, which can occur for small territories, countries in conflict, or states with limited statistical capacity. The full global count of UN member states is 193, and additional territories may be included or excluded depending on data availability for each specific indicator. Rankings are updated as new World Bank data is released, typically on an annual cycle.

What is the unemployment rate of the lowest-ranked country?

Qatar records the lowest unemployment rate among all 181 ranked countries, at 0.1%. This is 97.4% below the global median of 5.1%. The gap between the highest-ranked country (Eswatini at 34.2%) and Qatar represents a 263.1-fold difference, illustrating the extraordinary breadth of global variation in unemployment rate. Low-ranked countries on most indicators face structural constraints including limited infrastructure, historical underdevelopment, or geographic disadvantage.

How does unemployment rate vary across regions?

Regional variation in unemployment rate is substantial. Among the top 10 countries, the dominant regions are Other (8 countries), Africa (2 countries). Other holds the largest share with 8 countries in the top 10. Among the bottom 10, the most represented regions are Other (6 countries), Africa (3 countries), Asia (1 countries), with Other accounting for 6 of those positions. These regional concentrations reflect accumulated differences in economic development, geographic endowments, governance quality, and integration into global trade networks. Regional averages should be interpreted carefully, as within-region variation can be as wide as cross-region variation for many indicators.

Related Rankings

PopulationGDPGDP Per CapitaAreaLife ExpectancyInfant Mortality

Data: World Bank Open Data · Last updated March 2026 · 181 countries ranked