Unemployment (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Ireland
Ireland: Unemployment (current ILO definition - ICLS19) was 137.16 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Ireland, 2014–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 137.16 for unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.4% on the previous year and down 39.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) in Ireland peaked at 267.54 in 2014 and was at its lowest, 120.83, in 2022.
That places Ireland 48th out of 72 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.
Unemployment (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 267.54 | — |
| 2015 | 226.21 | -15.4% |
| 2016 | 194.87 | -13.9% |
| 2017 | 157.88 | -19.0% |
| 2018 | 137.49 | -12.9% |
| 2019 | 120.93 | -12.0% |
| 2020 | 136.67 | +13.0% |
| 2021 | 165.25 | +20.9% |
| 2022 | 120.83 | -26.9% |
| 2023 | 120.88 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 128.9 | +6.6% |
| 2025 | 137.16 | +6.4% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 137.16 is below the median for high income countries, which is 169.05, 81% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 137.16 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 212.69, 64% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 184.15 | 120.93 | 267.54 | 6 |
| 2020s | 134.95 | 120.83 | 165.25 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More work & labour data for Ireland
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.4488 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.4574 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.4405 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.23 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.9335 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 4,354 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,447 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,638 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,649 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 5,286 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) in Ireland?
- Unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) in Ireland was 137.16 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 267.54 in 2014.
- What is the lowest unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 120.83 in 2022.
- How does Ireland rank for unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19)?
- Ireland ranks 48th out of 72 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 39.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Unemployment (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series includes only countries for which the 19th ICLS definitions are applied. 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 Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database description.