Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Bolivia
Bolivia: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) was 3.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Bolivia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Bolivia is 3.0%, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 9.4% on the previous year and down 4.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Bolivia peaked at 7.9% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2.0%, in 2014.
Bolivia ranks 150th of 187 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Bolivia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2.9% | — |
| 1992 | 3.0% | +3.2% |
| 1993 | 3.0% | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 3.1% | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 2.7% | -13.5% |
| 1996 | 2.4% | -10.8% |
| 1997 | 2.1% | -12.4% |
| 1998 | 2.1% | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 2.3% | +8.4% |
| 2000 | 2.4% | +6.1% |
| 2001 | 2.6% | +7.5% |
| 2002 | 2.6% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 2.7% | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 2.6% | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 2.6% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 2.6% | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 2.6% | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 2.6% | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 3.0% | +14.2% |
| 2010 | 2.6% | -12.2% |
| 2011 | 2.3% | -13.6% |
| 2012 | 2.1% | -8.4% |
| 2013 | 2.4% | +18.0% |
| 2014 | 2.0% | -17.1% |
| 2015 | 3.1% | +53.9% |
| 2016 | 3.5% | +12.4% |
| 2017 | 3.7% | +4.5% |
| 2018 | 3.5% | -3.7% |
| 2019 | 3.7% | +4.6% |
| 2020 | 7.9% | +114.6% |
| 2021 | 5.1% | -35.6% |
| 2022 | 3.6% | -30.2% |
| 2023 | 3.0% | -14.9% |
| 2024 | 3.3% | +8.3% |
| 2025 | 3.0% | -9.4% |
Bolivia compared with similar countries
- Bolivia's 3.0% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.1%, 59% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Bolivia's 3.0% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 6.0%, 50% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Bolivia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +114.6% | 3.7% | 7.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.6% | 2.1% | 3.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 2.6% | 2.4% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.9% | 2.0% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.3% | 3.0% | 7.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bolivia
More education data for Bolivia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 72,283 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 39,642 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 169,575 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 164,013 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.30 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.38 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.8594 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.111 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Bolivia?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Bolivia was 3.0% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Bolivia?
- The highest recorded value was 7.9% in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Bolivia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.0% in 2014.
- How does Bolivia rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Bolivia ranks 150th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Bolivia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bolivia data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.