Which has higher unemployment, total (% of total labor force), Sri Lanka or United States of America?

Sri Lanka, at 4.3% against 4.3% in United States of America as of 2024.

How many years of comparable data are there for Sri Lanka and United States of America?

36 years are reported by both, from 1981 to 2024.

Where does this data come from?

Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Sri Lanka vs United States of America: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force)

Sri Lanka

4.3%

in 2024

United States of America

4.3%

in 2025

Sri Lanka rank

120th

United States of America rank

121st

Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) over time

Sri Lanka
United States of America

How they compare

Sri Lanka currently reports 4.3% against 4.3% in United States of America, a difference of 0.0%.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 36 shared years of data; in 1981 it was Sri Lanka ahead.

Sri Lanka ranks 120th and United States of America ranks 121st of 187 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Sri Lanka averaged higher in 3 and United States of America in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Sri Lanka	United States of America	Difference	Ahead
1980s	14.2%	7.4%	6.8%	Sri Lanka
1990s	12.3%	5.8%	6.6%	Sri Lanka
2000s	7.0%	5.5%	1.5%	Sri Lanka
2010s	4.3%	6.2%	1.9%	United States of America
2020s	4.8%	4.9%	0.2%	United States of America

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher unemployment, total (% of total labor force), Sri Lanka or United States of America?: Sri Lanka, at 4.3% against 4.3% in United States of America as of 2024.
What is the difference in unemployment, total (% of total labor force) between Sri Lanka and United States of America?: 0.0%, with Sri Lanka ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Sri Lanka and United States of America?: 36 years are reported by both, from 1981 to 2024.
How do Sri Lanka and United States of America rank globally for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?: Sri Lanka ranks 120th and United States of America ranks 121st of 187 countries.
Where does this data come from?: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Sri Lanka vs United States of America: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force). Statizoid, drawing on Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/compare/unemployment-total-percent-of-total-labor-force-national-estimate/sri-lanka/united-states/

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<a href="https://labour.statizoid.com/compare/unemployment-total-percent-of-total-labor-force-national-estimate/sri-lanka/united-states/">Sri Lanka vs United States of America: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force)</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate)
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 220 places, 6,054 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed: 03 September 2026

Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.