Global ranking · 49 economies · World Bank data
Unemployment Rate by Country 2026
49 economies ranked by unemployment (ILO), 2026. South Africa leads at 32.4%; Sweden 6th. Free World Bank data — cite & download.
TL;DR — South Africa is the economy with the highest unemployment (ILO) of the 49 ranked, at 32.4% (World Bank, 2025).
World Bank Open Data · World Bank Open Data · IMF World Economic Outlook · OECD Data | 49 entities | 1,020 words · 15 sections | data: CSV + JSON
Executive summary
This index ranks 49 of the world's largest economies by unemployment (ILO), using World Bank Open Data for cross-country comparability, and goes beyond a single snapshot: it shows the nominal figure, a ten-year history, a regional breakdown and the biggest movers. South Africa leads at 32.4% (2025); Thailand is lowest among those ranked at 0.8%. Sweden ranks 6th of 49 at 8.7% (2025). As reference points, the EU stands at 5.9%, the OECD at 4.9% and the world at 4.8%. Every figure carries its World Bank series and reference year, and the complete dataset is free to download as CSV and JSON under a CC BY 4.0 licence.
Key findings
South Africa tops the ranking
South Africa has the highest unemployment (ILO) among the 49 economies in this index at 32.4% (2025).
Source: World Bank Open Data · 2025 · confidence: High
Where Sweden ranks
Sweden ranks 6th of 49 at 8.7% (2025), above the OECD reference of 4.9%.
Source: World Bank Open Data · 2025 · confidence: High
Top five
The five highest by unemployment (ILO) are South Africa (32.4%), Spain (10.4%), Ukraine (9.8%), Finland (9.5%), Chile (9.0%).
Source: World Bank Open Data · 2025 · confidence: High
Data vintage — August 2026
Figures reflect the most recent year available in the World Bank Open Data API for each economy (shown next to every value). This index of the unemployment rate by country regenerates automatically as new data is published.
Overview
The unemployment rate — the share of the labour force without work but available for and seeking it — is the headline gauge of labour-market slack. This index ranks countries on the internationally comparable ILO-modelled measure, so the numbers mean the same thing across borders.
Comparisons need care: a higher headline rate does not always mean a weaker economy. Countries with very high labour-force participation, or that count full-time students who seek work, post structurally higher rates than countries where fewer people are in the labour force at all.
What drives the ranking
Unemployment reflects the business cycle (demand for labour), the structure of the labour market (hiring and firing costs, benefit systems, wage-setting), and demographics. Youth and long-term unemployment often move differently from the headline rate.
The ILO-modelled estimate used here is designed for cross-country comparison and can differ from a country's own nationally-defined rate.
What the data reveals
The field is highly concentrated at the top: the leader, South Africa, at 32.4% is about 7.0× the median of 4.6% across the 49 economies, and 3.12× the second-placed Spain. In other words, unemployment (ILO) is dominated by a handful of standouts.
Benchmarked against the OECD average of 4.9%, 21 of the 49 ranked economies (43%) come out higher, and 22 exceed the world figure of 4.8%. This shows how much of the distribution sits above the rich-world benchmark — a quick read on whether unemployment (ILO) is broadly high or concentrated among a few.
What the data says about Sweden: at 8.7% it ranks 6th of 49 — the top quartile — above the median of 4.6%. That places Sweden among the leaders of the field on unemployment (ILO).
The spread is wide: the upper quartile of economies clusters around 6.8% and the lower quartile around 3.1%, while the leader South Africa is 41.5× the lowest-ranked Thailand (0.8%). The quartile split is a cleaner read on typical unemployment (ILO) than a simple average, which a few extreme values can distort.
Top 5 vs bottom 5
The five highest and five lowest economies on unemployment (ILO) side by side — the clearest snapshot of the range across the 49 ranked economies.
| Top 5 | Value | Bottom 5 | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. South Africa | 32.4% | 45. Philippines | 2.2% |
| 2. Spain | 10.4% | 46. United Arab Emirates | 2.2% |
| 3. Ukraine | 9.8% | 47. Russia | 2.1% |
| 4. Finland | 9.5% | 48. Viet Nam | 1.5% |
| 5. Chile | 9.0% | 49. Thailand | 0.8% |
Limitations & notes
This ranking uses the latest year each economy reports to the World Bank; reporting lags differ, so some countries carry data a year or two older than others (see the year column in the full table). It measures unemployment (ILO) as the source defines it — not its causes, quality, or wider welfare implications, and not any single 'best' outcome. Every figure is an official World Bank series, not an Affärslivet estimate; the complete dataset with per-country years and sources is free to download and reproduce below.
How it has changed over time
The chart tracks unemployment (ILO) for South Africa (the current leader) against Sweden over the past decade; the table below shows the top economies year by year.
| Country | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 26.9% | 28.5% | 29.2% | 34.0% | 33.3% | 32.1% | 32.3% | 32.4% |
| Spain | 15.3% | 14.1% | 15.5% | 14.9% | 13.0% | 12.2% | 11.4% | 10.4% |
| Ukraine | 8.8% | 8.2% | 9.5% | 9.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Finland | 7.4% | 6.7% | 7.8% | 7.6% | 6.7% | 7.1% | 8.4% | 9.5% |
| Chile | 7.6% | 7.5% | 10.9% | 9.3% | 8.2% | 9.0% | 8.7% | 9.0% |
| Sweden | 6.4% | 6.8% | 8.3% | 8.8% | 7.4% | 7.6% | 8.4% | 8.7% |
| Greece | 19.2% | 17.0% | 15.9% | 14.7% | 12.4% | 11.0% | 10.0% | 8.5% |
| Turkiye | 11.0% | 13.7% | 13.1% | 12.0% | 10.5% | 9.4% | 8.8% | 8.5% |
By region
Median unemployment (ILO) by world region among the ranked economies. Regional medians reveal patterns the country ranking alone can hide.
| Region | Economies | Median | Highest | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 23 | 5.5% | 10.4% | 2.1% |
| Asia-Pacific | 12 | 3.0% | 5.1% | 0.8% |
| Americas | 7 | 6.9% | 9.0% | 2.7% |
| Middle East & Africa | 7 | 3.5% | 32.4% | 2.2% |
Biggest movers
The largest changes in unemployment (ILO) over the available window — where the action has been.
| Country | Change | Δ | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 13.7% → 6.0% | -7.7% | 2020–2025 |
| Colombia | 16.0% → 8.3% | -7.7% | 2020–2025 |
| Greece | 15.9% → 8.5% | -7.4% | 2020–2025 |
| Spain | 15.5% → 10.4% | -5.2% | 2020–2025 |
| Turkiye | 13.1% → 8.5% | -4.6% | 2020–2025 |
| Saudi Arabia | 7.7% → 3.0% | -4.6% | 2020–2025 |
| Argentina | 11.5% → 7.1% | -4.3% | 2020–2025 |
| United States | 8.1% → 4.2% | -3.9% | 2020–2025 |
Full ranking — 49 economies
Complete ranking by unemployment (ILO), most recent World Bank data, with world region. Region aggregates (EU, OECD, World) appear in the At-a-glance box as reference points.
| # | Country | Unemployment (Ilo) | Region | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa | 32.4% | Middle East & Africa | 2025 |
| 2 | Spain | 10.4% | Europe | 2025 |
| 3 | Ukraine | 9.8% | Europe | 2021 |
| 4 | Finland | 9.5% | Europe | 2025 |
| 5 | Chile | 9.0% | Americas | 2025 |
| 6 | Sweden | 8.7% | Europe | 2025 |
| 7 | Greece | 8.5% | Europe | 2025 |
| 8 | Turkiye | 8.5% | Middle East & Africa | 2025 |
| 9 | Colombia | 8.3% | Americas | 2025 |
| 10 | France | 7.5% | Europe | 2025 |
| 11 | Argentina | 7.1% | Americas | 2025 |
| 12 | Canada | 6.9% | Americas | 2025 |
| 13 | Egypt | 6.8% | Middle East & Africa | 2025 |
| 14 | Italy | 6.4% | Europe | 2025 |
| 15 | Portugal | 6.2% | Europe | 2025 |
| 16 | Romania | 6.0% | Europe | 2025 |
| 17 | Brazil | 6.0% | Americas | 2025 |
| 18 | Belgium | 5.9% | Europe | 2025 |
| 19 | Austria | 5.6% | Europe | 2025 |
| 20 | Denmark | 5.5% | Europe | 2025 |
| 21 | New Zealand | 5.1% | Asia-Pacific | 2025 |
| 22 | Switzerland | 4.9% | Europe | 2025 |
| 23 | United Kingdom | 4.7% | Europe | 2025 |
| 24 | Norway | 4.6% | Europe | 2025 |
| 25 | Ireland | 4.6% | Europe | 2025 |
| 26 | China | 4.6% | Asia-Pacific | 2025 |
| 27 | Hungary | 4.5% | Europe | 2025 |
| 28 | India | 4.2% | Asia-Pacific | 2025 |
| 29 | United States | 4.2% | Americas | 2025 |
| 30 | Australia | 4.1% | Asia-Pacific | 2025 |
| 31 | Netherlands | 3.9% | Europe | 2025 |
| 32 | Malaysia | 3.8% | Asia-Pacific | 2025 |
| 33 | Germany | 3.7% | Europe | 2025 |
| 34 | Iceland | 3.6% | Europe | 2025 |
| 35 | Israel | 3.5% | Middle East & Africa | 2025 |
| 36 | Indonesia | 3.2% | Asia-Pacific | 2025 |
| 37 | Nigeria | 3.1% | Middle East & Africa | 2025 |
| 38 | Saudi Arabia | 3.0% | Middle East & Africa | 2025 |
| 39 | Poland | 3.0% | Europe | 2025 |
| 40 | Czechia | 2.8% | Europe | 2025 |
| 41 | Singapore | 2.8% | Asia-Pacific | 2025 |
| 42 | South Korea | 2.7% | Asia-Pacific | 2025 |
| 43 | Mexico | 2.7% | Americas | 2025 |
| 44 | Japan | 2.5% | Asia-Pacific | 2025 |
| 45 | Philippines | 2.2% | Asia-Pacific | 2025 |
| 46 | United Arab Emirates | 2.2% | Middle East & Africa | 2025 |
| 47 | Russia | 2.1% | Europe | 2025 |
| 48 | Viet Nam | 1.5% | Asia-Pacific | 2025 |
| 49 | Thailand | 0.8% | Asia-Pacific | 2025 |
Scoreboard (machine-readable data)
Every headline indicator with its value, period, source and confidence. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0.
| Indicator | Value | Period | Source | Conf. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 32.39 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Spain | 10.38 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Ukraine | 9.83 % | 2021 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Finland | 9.46 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Chile | 8.97 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Sweden | 8.69 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Greece | 8.54 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Turkiye | 8.52 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Colombia | 8.29 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| France | 7.54 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Argentina | 7.14 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Canada | 6.91 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Egypt | 6.78 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Italy | 6.39 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Portugal | 6.16 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Romania | 5.99 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Brazil | 5.97 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Belgium | 5.91 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Austria | 5.58 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Denmark | 5.53 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| New Zealand | 5.08 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Switzerland | 4.87 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| United Kingdom | 4.75 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Norway | 4.64 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Ireland | 4.63 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| China | 4.62 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Hungary | 4.52 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| India | 4.22 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| United States | 4.2 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Australia | 4.09 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Netherlands | 3.87 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Malaysia | 3.76 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Germany | 3.71 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Iceland | 3.62 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Israel | 3.49 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Indonesia | 3.24 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Nigeria | 3.06 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Saudi Arabia | 3.04 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Poland | 2.98 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Czechia | 2.83 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Singapore | 2.82 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| South Korea | 2.68 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Mexico | 2.67 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Japan | 2.45 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Philippines | 2.23 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| United Arab Emirates | 2.17 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Russia | 2.13 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Viet Nam | 1.52 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Thailand | 0.78 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
Methodology & verification
Economies are ranked by unemployment (ILO) using the World Bank Open Data API, which harmonises national statistics for cross-country comparison. Each value is the most recent year available for that economy, shown alongside the figure; the trend table uses each economy's reported history. Economies with no reported value are omitted rather than estimated. Region aggregates (EU, euro area, OECD, World) are reference points, not ranked. The ILO-modelled estimate harmonises definitions for comparability and may differ from national figures. A high rate can reflect high participation or student job-seeking rather than economic distress. Confidence: High (official multilateral source).
Data dictionary
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| metric | string | World Bank indicator code : country ISO3 |
| label | string | Country name |
| value | number | unemployment (ILO) value |
| unit | string | % |
| period | string | Reference year |
| geography | string | Country |
| source_url | string | World Bank indicator page |
Frequently asked questions
Which country has the highest unemployment (ILO)?
South Africa, at 32.4% (2025). Source: World Bank Open Data.
Where does Sweden rank by unemployment (ILO)?
Sweden ranks 6th of 49 at 8.7% (2025). Source: World Bank.
What are the top five by unemployment (ILO)?
South Africa (32.4%), Spain (10.4%), Ukraine (9.8%), Finland (9.5%), Chile (9.0%). Source: World Bank.
How is unemployment (ILO) defined?
Unemployment (% of labour force, ILO), as reported by the World Bank. See the methodology and glossary for details.
How many economies are ranked?
49 of the world's largest economies, plus the EU, OECD and World aggregates as reference points.
What is the caveat with this metric?
The ILO-modelled estimate harmonises definitions for comparability and may differ from national figures. A high rate can reflect high participation or student job-seeking rather than economic distress.
Where does the data come from?
The World Bank Open Data API, which harmonises national statistics for cross-country comparison. Every figure shows its reference year and links to its World Bank indicator page.
How current is it, and how often does it update?
Each figure is the latest year the World Bank reports for that economy. The index regenerates automatically as new data is released.
Can I download this ranking?
Yes — the full ranking is available as CSV and JSON under a CC BY 4.0 licence, free to reuse with attribution to Affärslivet.
Which countries rank in the top 5 of the Unemployment Rate by Country?
The top five are South Africa, Spain, Ukraine, Finland and Chile, based on the Unemployment Rate by Country (Affärslivet, 2026-08-19).
Where does Sweden rank in the Unemployment Rate by Country?
Sweden ranks #6 of 49 (8.7%) in the Unemployment Rate by Country, as of 2026-08-19. Source: Affärslivet.
How many countries are ranked in the Unemployment Rate by Country?
49 economies are included in the Unemployment Rate by Country (2026-08-19). Full data is free to download as CSV or JSON under CC BY 4.0.
Glossary
- Unemployment (Ilo)
- Unemployment (% of labour force, ILO) — as reported by the World Bank. ↗
- World Bank Open Data
- A free, authoritative database of harmonised economic indicators for every country. ↗
- Purchasing-power parity (PPP)
- A conversion that equalises the price of a comparable basket of goods across countries, so output and incomes can be compared in real terms rather than at market exchange rates. ↗
- Nominal (current US$)
- A value converted at prevailing market exchange rates and not adjusted for differences in price levels. ↗
- GNI per capita
- Gross national income per person — like GDP per capita but including net income earned abroad; useful where cross-border corporate flows are large. ↗
- Reference year
- The year a figure applies to; it can differ across countries because national statistics are published on different schedules. ↗
- Region aggregate
- A World Bank grouping (e.g. European Union, OECD, World) whose value is a weighted regional total or average, shown here for reference rather than ranked. ↗
Embed & cite this report
Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Embed the live-updating widget on your site, or cite the report directly — always with attribution to Affärslivet.
Embed (HTML) — auto-updating
<iframe src="https://xn--affrslivet-s5a.com/en/embed/unemployment-rate-by-country" width="100%" height="520" style="border:1px solid #e3e3e6" title="Unemployment Rate by Country 2026 — Affärslivet" loading="lazy"></iframe> <p style="font:12px sans-serif">Source: <a href="https://xn--affrslivet-s5a.com/en/reports/unemployment-rate-by-country">Affärslivet</a></p>
APA
Affärslivet Research. (2026). Unemployment Rate by Country 2026. Affärslivet. Version 1.1. https://xn--affrslivet-s5a.com/en/reports/unemployment-rate-by-country
MLA
Affärslivet Research. "Unemployment Rate by Country 2026." Affärslivet, 2026-07-01, https://xn--affrslivet-s5a.com/en/reports/unemployment-rate-by-country.
BibTeX
@techreport{affarslivet_unemployment_rate_by_country,
title = {Unemployment Rate by Country 2026},
author = {{Affärslivet Research}},
year = {2026},
note = {Version 1.1},
url = {https://xn--affrslivet-s5a.com/en/reports/unemployment-rate-by-country}
} License CC BY 4.0 — free to cite, embed and republish with attribution to Affärslivet. Data also as CSV / JSON.