Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Europe & Central Asia
Europe & Central Asia: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 5.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Europe & Central Asia, 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 Europe & Central Asia is 5.4%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and down 37.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Europe & Central Asia peaked at 10.7% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 5.4%, in 2025.
Europe & Central Asia ranks 17th of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Europe & Central Asia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 6.9% | — |
| 1992 | 7.5% | +8.8% |
| 1993 | 8.7% | +15.4% |
| 1994 | 9.7% | +11.5% |
| 1995 | 9.9% | +2.9% |
| 1996 | 10.3% | +3.4% |
| 1997 | 10.5% | +2.4% |
| 1998 | 10.7% | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 10.6% | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 9.7% | -8.5% |
| 2001 | 9.1% | -6.5% |
| 2002 | 9.1% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 9.1% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 9.1% | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 8.7% | -3.6% |
| 2006 | 8.2% | -6.4% |
| 2007 | 7.2% | -11.3% |
| 2008 | 7.2% | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 9.1% | +26.4% |
| 2010 | 9.1% | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 8.9% | -2.9% |
| 2012 | 9.1% | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 9.3% | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 8.9% | -3.5% |
| 2015 | 8.6% | -4.3% |
| 2016 | 8.1% | -5.6% |
| 2017 | 7.5% | -7.3% |
| 2018 | 6.9% | -8.1% |
| 2019 | 6.6% | -3.7% |
| 2020 | 7.1% | +7.1% |
| 2021 | 6.9% | -2.7% |
| 2022 | 5.8% | -15.3% |
| 2023 | 5.6% | -5.0% |
| 2024 | 5.4% | -3.2% |
| 2025 | 5.4% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.4% | 6.9% | 10.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 8.6% | 7.2% | 9.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.3% | 6.6% | 9.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.0% | 5.4% | 7.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia
More education data for Europe & Central Asia
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 3.52 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 83.79 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 52.35 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.0527 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 17.2% (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0564 units per person (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 64.3% (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Europe & Central Asia?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Europe & Central Asia was 5.4% 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 Europe & Central Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 10.7% in 1998.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Europe & Central Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.4% in 2025.
- How does Europe & Central Asia rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Europe & Central Asia ranks 17th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 37.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia 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.
Download this data
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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.