SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) in Singapore
Singapore: SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) was 3.25 in 2025. ▼ Falling
SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) in Singapore, 2000–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) in Singapore stood at 3.25.
The figure is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 14.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) in Singapore peaked at 5.93 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 3.12, in 2019.
Singapore ranks 135th of 179 countries on this measure, in the bottom 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 Singapore, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 3.7 | — |
| 2001 | 3.76 | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 5.65 | +50.3% |
| 2003 | 5.93 | +5.0% |
| 2004 | 5.84 | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 3.4 | -41.8% |
| 2006 | 4.48 | +31.8% |
| 2007 | 3.9 | -12.9% |
| 2008 | 3.96 | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 5.86 | +48.0% |
| 2010 | 4.12 | -29.7% |
| 2011 | 3.89 | -5.6% |
| 2012 | 3.72 | -4.4% |
| 2013 | 3.86 | +3.9% |
| 2014 | 3.74 | -3.1% |
| 2015 | 3.79 | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 4.08 | +7.9% |
| 2017 | 4.16 | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 3.88 | -6.8% |
| 2019 | 3.12 | -19.4% |
| 2020 | 5.23 | +67.4% |
| 2021 | 4.64 | -11.3% |
| 2022 | 3.59 | -22.6% |
| 2023 | 3.44 | -4.1% |
| 2024 | 3.31 | -4.0% |
| 2025 | 3.25 | -1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 4.65 | 3.4 | 5.93 | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.84 | 3.12 | 4.16 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.91 | 3.25 | 5.23 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Singapore
More work & labour data for Singapore
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.967 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.9557 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.9779 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.1059 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 6,575 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 0 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,077 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,086 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 4,163 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, per unit 0 1000 No per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) in Singapore?
- Sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) in Singapore was 3.25 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) recorded in Singapore?
- The highest recorded value was 5.93 in 2003.
- What is the lowest sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) recorded in Singapore?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.12 in 2019.
- How does Singapore rank for sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition)?
- Singapore ranks 135th out of 179 countries with data for 2025.
- Is sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) rising or falling in Singapore?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Singapore 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.