SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) in World: Upper-middle income

World: Upper-middle income: SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) was 5.41 in 2027. ▼ Falling

Latest (2027)
5.41
Change on year
down 0.3%
Rank
37th
of 87 groups
All-time high
6.75
in 2020
All-time low
5.41
in 2027
Years of data
28
2000–2027

SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) in World: Upper-middle income, 2000–2027

02462000201320272000: 5.72001: 62002: 6.42003: 6.52004: 6.32005: 6.32006: 62007: 5.92008: 5.92009: 6.22010: 5.92011: 5.72012: 5.62013: 5.62014: 5.62015: 5.82016: 62017: 62018: 5.92019: 6.12020: 6.82021: 6.42022: 62023: 5.62024: 5.52025: 5.52026: 5.42027: 5.4

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

The most recent figure for sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) in World: Upper-middle income is 5.41, measured in 2027. That is the lowest value across all 28 years on record.

The figure is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 9.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) in World: Upper-middle income peaked at 6.75 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 5.41, in 2027.

World: Upper-middle income ranks 37th of 87 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 28 years of available data.

SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) in World: Upper-middle income, year by year

Annual values for SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+) in World: Upper-middle income, 2000 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2000 5.74
2001 5.99 +4.4%
2002 6.35 +6.0%
2003 6.47 +1.9%
2004 6.31 -2.6%
2005 6.26 -0.7%
2006 6 -4.2%
2007 5.9 -1.6%
2008 5.86 -0.6%
2009 6.18 +5.4%
2010 5.89 -4.7%
2011 5.7 -3.3%
2012 5.6 -1.7%
2013 5.56 -0.7%
2014 5.57 +0.2%
2015 5.78 +3.7%
2016 6 +3.8%
2017 6 +0.1%
2018 5.93 -1.2%
2019 6.07 +2.3%
2020 6.75 +11.4%
2021 6.37 -5.7%
2022 6.05 -5.0%
2023 5.65 -6.7%
2024 5.54 -1.8%
2025 5.47 -1.3%
2026 5.43 -0.8%
2027 5.41 -0.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 6.11 5.74 6.47 10
2010s 5.81 5.56 6.07 10
2020s 5.83 5.41 6.75 8

Countries ranked near World: Upper-middle income

  1. 34 Greece 8.84 compare
  2. 35 Sweden 8.74 compare
  3. 36 Albania 8.43 compare
  4. 37 Colombia 8.43 compare
  5. 38 Greenland 8.4 compare
  6. 39 Türkiye 8.35 compare
  7. 40 Panama 8.31 compare

See the full ranking of 266 places →

More work & labour data for World: Upper-middle income

All data for World: Upper-middle income →

Frequently asked questions

What is sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) in World: Upper-middle income?
Sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) in World: Upper-middle income was 5.41 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) recorded in World: Upper-middle income?
The highest recorded value was 6.75 in 2020.
What is the lowest sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) recorded in World: Upper-middle income?
The lowest recorded value was 5.41 in 2027.
How does World: Upper-middle income rank for sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition)?
World: Upper-middle income ranks 37th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
Is sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) rising or falling in World: Upper-middle income?
Over the last ten years it is down 9.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this World: Upper-middle income 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.

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SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) in World: Upper-middle income. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/sdg-indicator-8-5-2-unemployment-rate-previous-ilo-definition-icls13-15/world-upper-middle-income/

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About this data

Indicator
SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
266 places, 5,648 data points, 2000–2027
Last refreshed

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.