SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) in North Macedonia
North Macedonia: SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) was 11.53 in 2025. ▼ Falling
SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) in North Macedonia, 2000–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) in North Macedonia is 11.53, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.0% on the previous year and down 56.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) in North Macedonia peaked at 37.32 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 11.53, in 2025.
North Macedonia ranks 21st of 179 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) in North Macedonia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 32.2 | — |
| 2001 | 30.52 | -5.2% |
| 2002 | 31.94 | +4.7% |
| 2003 | 36.69 | +14.8% |
| 2004 | 37.16 | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 37.32 | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 36.39 | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 35.23 | -3.2% |
| 2008 | 33.93 | -3.7% |
| 2009 | 32.35 | -4.7% |
| 2010 | 33.13 | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 31.5 | -4.9% |
| 2012 | 31.1 | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 29.02 | -6.7% |
| 2014 | 28.21 | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 26.39 | -6.5% |
| 2016 | 24.31 | -7.9% |
| 2017 | 22.86 | -6.0% |
| 2018 | 21.21 | -7.2% |
| 2019 | 17.41 | -17.9% |
| 2020 | 16.57 | -4.8% |
| 2021 | 15.8 | -4.7% |
| 2022 | 14.48 | -8.4% |
| 2023 | 13.17 | -9.0% |
| 2024 | 12.27 | -6.9% |
| 2025 | 11.53 | -6.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 34.37 | 30.52 | 37.32 | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.52 | 17.41 | 33.13 | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.97 | 11.53 | 16.57 | 6 |
Countries ranked near North Macedonia
- 18 Morocco 11.79 compare
- 19 Algeria 11.71 compare
- 20 Montenegro 11.53 compare
- 22 Cape Verde 11.3 compare
- 23 Kosovo 10.83 compare
- 24 Bosnia and Herzegovina 10.73 compare
More work & labour data for North Macedonia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -1.24 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -1.21 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -1.28 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.11 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.1782 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 1,405 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 525.79 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 422.57 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 440.42 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 863 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) in North Macedonia?
- Sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) in North Macedonia was 11.53 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) recorded in North Macedonia?
- The highest recorded value was 37.32 in 2005.
- What is the lowest sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) recorded in North Macedonia?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.53 in 2025.
- How does North Macedonia rank for sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition)?
- North Macedonia ranks 21st out of 179 countries with data for 2025.
- Is sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) rising or falling in North Macedonia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 56.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this North Macedonia data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Data may differ from nationally reported figures and the Global SDG Indicators Database due to differences in sources and/or reference years. The unemployment rate conveys the number of persons who are unemployed as a percent of the labour force (i.e., the employed plus the unemployed). 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 Labour Market-related SDG Indicators (ILOSDG) database description.