ILO estimate of the unemployment rate in World
The ILO estimates the unemployment rate in the world at 4.9% in 2025. The value for 2025 is the lowest in the series, which starts in 1991.
World is a group: All economies covered by the World Bank. The value is the aggregate published by ILOSTAT, not an average calculated on this site.
World, 2025
4.9%
Change from 2024
0percentage points
ILO estimate of the unemployment rate in World over time
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World
The chart loads when you scroll to it. The table below shows the same data.
The chart shows a calculation from the published values. The table below keeps the published values.
% of the labour force aged 15 and over. Source: ILO, ILOSTAT (ILO Modelled Estimates). Gaps mean no published value; points are not joined across missing years. Dashed lines are projections.
| Period | World |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.9% |
| 2024 | 4.9% |
| 2023 | 4.9% |
| 2022 | 5.3% |
| 2021 | 6.0% |
| 2020 | 6.6% |
| 2019 | 5.6% |
| 2018 | 5.8% |
| 2017 | 5.9% |
| 2016 | 6.0% |
Flags: f Projection . A dash means no value was published.
In short
- That is a change of 0 percentage points from 4.9% in 2024.
- Since 2015, when it was 6.0%, the figure has changed by −1.1 percentage points.
More for World
All statistics for World
ILO estimate of youth unemployment
12.4%
2025 · ILOSTAT
Labour force participation
60.8%
2025 · ILOSTAT
Women's labour force participation
48.7%
2025 · ILOSTAT
Employment-to-population ratio
57.9%
2025 · ILOSTAT
Employment in agriculture
25.8%
2025 · World Bank
Employment in industry
23.7%
2025 · World Bank