Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Brazil
Brazil: Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) was 4.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Brazil, 1973–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Brazil stood at 4.8%.
That represents a change of down 14.2% on the previous year and down 33.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Brazil peaked at 11.8% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1.9%, in 1976.
Brazil ranks 94th of 181 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 46 years of available data.
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Brazil, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 6.0% | — |
| 1976 | 1.9% | -68.0% |
| 1977 | 2.1% | +9.6% |
| 1978 | 2.2% | +1.8% |
| 1979 | 2.8% | +27.7% |
| 1981 | 3.9% | +41.8% |
| 1982 | 3.9% | -0.1% |
| 1983 | 4.6% | +18.4% |
| 1984 | 3.9% | -15.6% |
| 1985 | 3.2% | -18.6% |
| 1986 | 2.2% | -30.1% |
| 1987 | 3.3% | +50.7% |
| 1988 | 3.5% | +6.0% |
| 1989 | 3.5% | -1.9% |
| 1990 | 4.2% | +21.2% |
| 1992 | 5.9% | +39.1% |
| 1993 | 5.2% | -11.8% |
| 1995 | 5.9% | +13.4% |
| 1996 | 6.3% | +8.4% |
| 1997 | 7.0% | +10.7% |
| 1998 | 7.9% | +11.8% |
| 1999 | 8.8% | +11.5% |
| 2001 | 8.4% | -3.7% |
| 2002 | 8.4% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 8.9% | +5.6% |
| 2004 | 7.6% | -14.2% |
| 2005 | 7.9% | +4.1% |
| 2006 | 7.3% | -7.6% |
| 2007 | 6.8% | -6.9% |
| 2008 | 6.0% | -12.1% |
| 2009 | 6.9% | +15.1% |
| 2011 | 5.4% | -21.3% |
| 2012 | 5.8% | +6.4% |
| 2013 | 5.7% | -2.1% |
| 2014 | 5.6% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 7.2% | +28.8% |
| 2016 | 10.1% | +39.4% |
| 2017 | 11.2% | +11.2% |
| 2018 | 10.7% | -4.2% |
| 2019 | 10.1% | -6.2% |
| 2020 | 11.8% | +17.2% |
| 2021 | 10.7% | -9.6% |
| 2022 | 7.5% | -30.0% |
| 2023 | 6.6% | -11.6% |
| 2024 | 5.6% | -15.3% |
| 2025 | 4.8% | -14.2% |
Brazil compared with similar countries
- Brazil's 4.8% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.4%, 90% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Brazil's 4.8% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 5.8%, 83% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.0% | 1.9% | 6.0% | 5 |
| 1980s | 3.6% | 2.2% | 4.6% | 9 |
| 1990s | 6.4% | 4.2% | 8.8% | 8 |
| 2000s | 7.6% | 6.0% | 8.9% | 9 |
| 2010s | 8.0% | 5.4% | 11.2% | 9 |
| 2020s | 7.8% | 4.8% | 11.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Brazil
More work & labour data for Brazil
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.7328 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.7065 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.7581 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.74 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.1001 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 215,063 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 17,625 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 82,304 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 81,060 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 163,364 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Brazil?
- Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Brazil was 4.8% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Brazil?
- The highest recorded value was 11.8% in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Brazil?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.9% in 1976.
- How does Brazil rank for unemployment, male (% of male labor force)?
- Brazil ranks 94th out of 181 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) rising or falling in Brazil?
- Over the last ten years it is down 33.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Brazil data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
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.