Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Vietnam
Vietnam: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) was 1.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Vietnam, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Vietnam recorded 1.5% for unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in 2025.
That represents a change of down 4.9% on the previous year and down 17.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Vietnam peaked at 2.9% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 1.0%, in 2011.
Vietnam ranks 177th 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 Vietnam, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2.1% | — |
| 1992 | 2.1% | -1.4% |
| 1993 | 2.0% | -3.4% |
| 1994 | 2.0% | -3.2% |
| 1995 | 2.0% | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 1.9% | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 2.9% | +48.7% |
| 1998 | 2.3% | -20.2% |
| 1999 | 2.3% | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 2.3% | -3.0% |
| 2001 | 2.8% | +22.1% |
| 2002 | 2.1% | -23.2% |
| 2003 | 2.2% | +6.1% |
| 2004 | 2.1% | -4.9% |
| 2005 | 2.1% | -2.9% |
| 2006 | 2.0% | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 2.0% | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 1.9% | -6.8% |
| 2009 | 1.7% | -8.0% |
| 2010 | 1.1% | -35.9% |
| 2011 | 1.0% | -10.3% |
| 2012 | 1.0% | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 1.3% | +28.1% |
| 2014 | 1.3% | -4.6% |
| 2015 | 1.8% | +47.1% |
| 2016 | 1.8% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 1.9% | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 1.2% | -38.0% |
| 2019 | 1.7% | +44.8% |
| 2020 | 2.1% | +25.1% |
| 2021 | 2.4% | +13.3% |
| 2022 | 1.6% | -34.1% |
| 2023 | 1.6% | +4.8% |
| 2024 | 1.6% | -2.6% |
| 2025 | 1.5% | -4.9% |
Vietnam compared with similar countries
- Vietnam's 1.5% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.6%, 27% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Vietnam's 1.5% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.0%, 50% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Vietnam 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | +48.7% | 1.9% | 2.9% |
| 2015 | +47.1% | 1.3% | 1.8% |
| 2019 | +44.8% | 1.2% | 1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.2% | 1.9% | 2.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 2.1% | 1.7% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.4% | 1.0% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.8% | 1.5% | 2.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Vietnam
More education data for Vietnam
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 456,146 (2022)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 64,555 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.15 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.99 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 9.61 million (2022)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 8.88 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -3.44 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0879 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Vietnam?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Vietnam was 1.5% 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 Vietnam?
- The highest recorded value was 2.9% in 1997.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Vietnam?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.0% in 2011.
- How does Vietnam rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Vietnam ranks 177th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Vietnam?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Vietnam 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.