Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Ghana
Ghana: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) was 3.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Ghana, 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 Ghana is 3.0%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.6% on the previous year and down 56.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Ghana peaked at 10.5% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 2.2%, in 2013.
Ghana ranks 148th of 187 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Ghana, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 3.5% | — |
| 1992 | 4.7% | +34.7% |
| 1993 | 5.2% | +11.3% |
| 1994 | 5.9% | +12.8% |
| 1995 | 6.5% | +9.9% |
| 1996 | 7.1% | +9.4% |
| 1997 | 7.6% | +7.7% |
| 1998 | 8.2% | +7.3% |
| 1999 | 10.1% | +23.2% |
| 2000 | 10.5% | +3.5% |
| 2001 | 9.6% | -8.0% |
| 2002 | 8.7% | -9.4% |
| 2003 | 7.7% | -11.3% |
| 2004 | 6.8% | -12.6% |
| 2005 | 5.8% | -13.9% |
| 2006 | 4.9% | -15.8% |
| 2007 | 5.1% | +4.2% |
| 2008 | 5.1% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 5.4% | +4.2% |
| 2010 | 5.4% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 4.2% | -21.7% |
| 2012 | 3.1% | -25.8% |
| 2013 | 2.2% | -30.5% |
| 2014 | 4.4% | +102.6% |
| 2015 | 6.8% | +54.6% |
| 2016 | 5.3% | -22.8% |
| 2017 | 3.4% | -35.9% |
| 2018 | 3.2% | -4.9% |
| 2019 | 3.1% | -4.3% |
| 2020 | 3.2% | +3.6% |
| 2021 | 3.2% | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 2.9% | -10.3% |
| 2023 | 2.8% | -1.4% |
| 2024 | 2.8% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 3.0% | +5.6% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 3.0% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.1%, 59% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 3.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.4%, 55% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Ghana 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | +102.6% | 2.2% | 4.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.5% | 3.5% | 10.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 7.0% | 4.9% | 10.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.1% | 2.2% | 6.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.0% | 2.8% | 3.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
More education data for Ghana
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 174,414 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 39,902 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 949,095 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 913,117 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.33 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.98 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.6567 % change on previous year (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1448 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Ghana?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Ghana 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 Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 10.5% in 2000.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.2% in 2013.
- How does Ghana rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Ghana ranks 148th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 56.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ghana 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.