Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Upper middle income
Upper middle income: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 5.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Upper middle income, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Upper middle income stood at 5.2%.
The figure is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 6.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Upper middle income peaked at 6.5% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 3.8%, in 1991.
That places Upper middle income 19th out of 47 groups 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) in Upper middle income, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 3.8% | — |
| 1992 | 3.9% | +2.1% |
| 1993 | 4.1% | +5.7% |
| 1994 | 4.5% | +9.8% |
| 1995 | 4.9% | +8.6% |
| 1996 | 5.0% | +3.3% |
| 1997 | 5.1% | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 5.3% | +5.2% |
| 1999 | 5.6% | +4.7% |
| 2000 | 5.5% | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 5.8% | +4.6% |
| 2002 | 6.1% | +5.1% |
| 2003 | 6.2% | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 6.1% | -2.4% |
| 2005 | 6.0% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 5.8% | -3.9% |
| 2007 | 5.7% | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 5.7% | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 6.0% | +5.3% |
| 2010 | 5.7% | -5.3% |
| 2011 | 5.5% | -3.4% |
| 2012 | 5.4% | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 5.3% | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 5.3% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 5.6% | +3.9% |
| 2016 | 5.8% | +3.7% |
| 2017 | 5.8% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 5.7% | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 5.8% | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 6.5% | +11.5% |
| 2021 | 6.2% | -5.0% |
| 2022 | 5.8% | -6.6% |
| 2023 | 5.4% | -6.7% |
| 2024 | 5.3% | -1.9% |
| 2025 | 5.2% | -1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4.7% | 3.8% | 5.6% | 9 |
| 2000s | 5.9% | 5.5% | 6.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.6% | 5.3% | 5.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.7% | 5.2% | 6.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Upper middle income
- 16 Tunisia 15.1% compare
- 17 Haiti 14.9% compare
- 18 Angola 14.1% compare
- 19 Montenegro 13.6% compare
- 20 Syrian Arab Republic 13.6% compare
- 21 Afghanistan 13.4% compare
- 22 Armenia 12.9% compare
More education data for Upper middle income
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0774 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 237.35 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.5256 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 233.28 million (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 13.41 million (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 19.6% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 68.5% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Upper middle income?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Upper middle income was 5.2% 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 Upper middle income?
- The highest recorded value was 6.5% in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Upper middle income?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.8% in 1991.
- How does Upper middle income rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Upper middle income ranks 19th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Upper middle income?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Upper middle income 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.