Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Samoa
Samoa: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) was 5.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Samoa, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Samoa recorded 5.0% for unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in 2025.
That represents a change of up 2.9% on the previous year and down 43.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Samoa peaked at 9.4% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 1991.
Samoa ranks 102nd of 187 countries on this measure, 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 Samoa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2.1% | — |
| 1992 | 2.4% | +16.1% |
| 1993 | 2.7% | +10.3% |
| 1994 | 3.0% | +11.5% |
| 1995 | 3.2% | +8.2% |
| 1996 | 3.5% | +8.4% |
| 1997 | 3.8% | +7.5% |
| 1998 | 4.1% | +9.2% |
| 1999 | 4.5% | +8.8% |
| 2000 | 4.7% | +5.4% |
| 2001 | 5.0% | +4.8% |
| 2002 | 5.0% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 5.0% | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 5.2% | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 5.2% | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 5.3% | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 5.4% | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 5.5% | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 5.6% | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 5.6% | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 5.7% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 8.8% | +54.1% |
| 2013 | 8.8% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 8.7% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 8.9% | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 9.1% | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 9.4% | +3.7% |
| 2018 | 8.6% | -8.0% |
| 2019 | 7.9% | -9.1% |
| 2020 | 7.5% | -5.0% |
| 2021 | 6.7% | -10.8% |
| 2022 | 5.0% | -24.2% |
| 2023 | 4.9% | -2.5% |
| 2024 | 4.9% | -1.3% |
| 2025 | 5.0% | +2.9% |
Samoa compared with similar countries
- Samoa's 5.0% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.6%, 89% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Samoa's 5.0% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.0%, 1.6× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Samoa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | +54.1% | 5.7% | 8.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.3% | 2.1% | 4.5% | 9 |
| 2000s | 5.2% | 4.7% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.1% | 5.6% | 9.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.7% | 4.9% | 7.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Samoa
More education data for Samoa
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1,211 (2010)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 397 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2,580 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2,585 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 25,964 (2016)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 34,962 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.1171 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1604 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Samoa?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Samoa was 5.0% 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 Samoa?
- The highest recorded value was 9.4% in 2017.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Samoa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 1991.
- How does Samoa rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Samoa ranks 102nd out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Samoa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 43.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Samoa 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.