Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) was 4.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Democratic Republic of Congo, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Democratic Republic of Congo stood at 4.4%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and down 0.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 5.4% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2.9%, in 2005.
That places Democratic Republic of Congo 115th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
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 Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 3.3% | — |
| 1992 | 3.4% | +3.1% |
| 1993 | 3.5% | +2.3% |
| 1994 | 3.4% | -1.4% |
| 1995 | 3.3% | -3.5% |
| 1996 | 3.2% | -3.9% |
| 1997 | 3.2% | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 3.2% | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 3.2% | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 3.2% | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 3.3% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 3.2% | -2.2% |
| 2003 | 3.1% | -3.8% |
| 2004 | 3.0% | -2.6% |
| 2005 | 2.9% | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 3.2% | +7.7% |
| 2007 | 3.4% | +7.2% |
| 2008 | 3.6% | +6.6% |
| 2009 | 3.9% | +7.0% |
| 2010 | 4.1% | +5.6% |
| 2011 | 4.3% | +5.3% |
| 2012 | 4.5% | +3.9% |
| 2013 | 4.5% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 4.4% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 4.4% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 4.5% | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 4.6% | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 4.6% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 4.6% | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 5.4% | +16.3% |
| 2021 | 5.3% | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 4.5% | -14.2% |
| 2023 | 4.5% | -1.6% |
| 2024 | 4.4% | -1.1% |
| 2025 | 4.4% | +0.3% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 4.4% is above the median for low income countries, which is 4.4%, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 4.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.4%, 81% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.3% | 3.2% | 3.5% | 9 |
| 2000s | 3.3% | 2.9% | 3.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.5% | 4.1% | 4.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.8% | 4.4% | 5.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
More education data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 621,578 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 1.99 million (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 410,532 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 427,300 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 7.93 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 21.15 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 7.35 % change on previous year (2021)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1999 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Democratic Republic of Congo was 4.4% 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 Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 5.4% in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.9% in 2005.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 115th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo 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.