Spain vs United Kingdom: Unemployment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+)
Unemployment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+) over time
- Spain
- United Kingdom
How they compare
Spain currently reports 2,608 against 1,756 in United Kingdom, a difference of 852.
That makes Spain's figure about 1.5 times United Kingdom's.
Across all 31 years both countries report, Spain has been ahead every year.
Spain ranks 5th and United Kingdom ranks 8th of 78 countries.
Spain has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Spain | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3,323 | 2,074 | 1,249 | Spain |
| 2000s | 2,326 | 1,593 | 733.27 | Spain |
| 2010s | 4,731 | 1,949 | 2,782 | Spain |
| 2020s | 3,067 | 1,522 | 1,545 | Spain |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13), Spain or United Kingdom?
- Spain, at 2,608 against 1,756 in United Kingdom as of 2025.
- What is the difference in unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) between Spain and United Kingdom?
- 852, with Spain ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Spain and United Kingdom?
- 31 years are reported by both, from 1995 to 2025.
- How do Spain and United Kingdom rank globally for unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13)?
- Spain ranks 5th and United Kingdom ranks 8th of 78 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Labour Organization, published as Unemployment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The unemployed comprise all persons of working age who were: a) without work during the reference period, i.e. were not in paid employment or self-employment; b) currently available for work, i.e. were available for paid employment or self-employment during the reference period; and c) seeking work, i.e. had taken specific steps in a specified recent period to seek paid employment or self-employment. For more information, refer to the International Labour Migration Statistics (ILMS) database description.