Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 4.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recorded 4.7% for unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in 2025.
That represents a change of up 8.8% on the previous year and down 14.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 10.3% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 3.7%, in 2019.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 108th of 187 countries 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 8.6% | — |
| 1992 | 9.8% | +14.3% |
| 1993 | 10.3% | +5.9% |
| 1994 | 9.6% | -6.7% |
| 1995 | 8.7% | -9.9% |
| 1996 | 8.2% | -5.8% |
| 1997 | 7.1% | -13.6% |
| 1998 | 6.2% | -12.4% |
| 1999 | 6.0% | -2.5% |
| 2000 | 5.6% | -8.0% |
| 2001 | 4.7% | -15.5% |
| 2002 | 5.0% | +7.3% |
| 2003 | 4.8% | -4.6% |
| 2004 | 4.6% | -4.4% |
| 2005 | 4.9% | +6.3% |
| 2006 | 5.5% | +12.0% |
| 2007 | 5.4% | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 5.7% | +6.5% |
| 2009 | 7.7% | +33.7% |
| 2010 | 8.0% | +3.8% |
| 2011 | 8.2% | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 8.3% | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 7.8% | -6.4% |
| 2014 | 6.4% | -17.5% |
| 2015 | 5.6% | -13.2% |
| 2016 | 4.9% | -11.6% |
| 2017 | 4.5% | -8.3% |
| 2018 | 4.1% | -7.9% |
| 2019 | 3.7% | -11.8% |
| 2020 | 4.5% | +22.3% |
| 2021 | 4.9% | +8.8% |
| 2022 | 3.8% | -22.5% |
| 2023 | 4.0% | +6.8% |
| 2024 | 4.4% | +8.3% |
| 2025 | 4.7% | +8.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.3% | 6.0% | 10.3% | 9 |
| 2000s | 5.4% | 4.6% | 7.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.1% | 3.7% | 8.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.4% | 3.8% | 4.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- 105 Switzerland 4.9% compare
- 106 Paraguay 4.8% compare
- 107 Kazakhstan 4.8% compare
- 109 Norway 4.6% compare
- 110 Ireland 4.6% compare
- 111 Uzbekistan 4.6% compare
More education data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 388,714 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2012)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 830,495 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 790,556 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.40 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.86 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.0111 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.071 units per person (2023)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 4.7% 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 10.3% in 1993.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.7% in 2019.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 108th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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.