Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Estonia

Estonia: Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) was 8.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
8.3%
Change on year
up 10.5%
World rank
42nd
of 181 countries
All-time high
19.3%
in 2010
All-time low
0.6%
in 1990
Years of data
36
1990–2025

Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Estonia, 1990–2025

051015201990200720251990: 0.6071991: 1.41992: 3.91993: 6.51994: 7.31995: 10.51996: 10.71997: 11.21998: 10.41999: 12.92000: 152001: 132002: 11.32003: 12.12004: 11.62005: 9.22006: 6.22007: 5.42008: 5.82009: 16.72010: 19.32011: 13.12012: 10.92013: 9.12014: 7.92015: 6.52016: 7.62017: 6.32018: 5.62019: 4.12020: 7.12021: 6.82022: 6.12023: 6.12024: 7.52025: 8.3

Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).

Analysis

In 2025, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Estonia stood at 8.3%.

That represents a change of up 10.5% on the previous year and up 27.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Estonia peaked at 19.3% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 1990.

That places Estonia 42nd out of 181 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.

Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Estonia, year by year

Annual values for Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) in Estonia, 1990 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1990 0.6%
1991 1.4% +136.1%
1992 3.9% +173.1%
1993 6.5% +66.5%
1994 7.3% +12.3%
1995 10.5% +44.0%
1996 10.7% +1.4%
1997 11.2% +4.4%
1998 10.4% -6.3%
1999 12.9% +23.8%
2000 15.0% +16.2%
2001 13.0% -13.2%
2002 11.3% -13.2%
2003 12.1% +7.3%
2004 11.6% -4.2%
2005 9.2% -21.3%
2006 6.2% -31.9%
2007 5.4% -13.7%
2008 5.8% +7.0%
2009 16.7% +189.6%
2010 19.3% +15.6%
2011 13.1% -32.2%
2012 10.9% -16.4%
2013 9.1% -16.7%
2014 7.9% -13.5%
2015 6.5% -17.3%
2016 7.6% +16.5%
2017 6.3% -16.2%
2018 5.6% -12.3%
2019 4.1% -25.9%
2020 7.1% +72.9%
2021 6.8% -4.8%
2022 6.1% -10.6%
2023 6.1% +0.9%
2024 7.5% +22.7%
2025 8.3% +10.5%

Estonia compared with similar countries

  • Estonia's 8.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.9%, 1.7× the median. (75 countries reporting)
  • Estonia's 8.3% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5.4%, 1.5× the median. (53 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Estonia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2009 +189.6% 5.8% 16.7%
1992 +173.1% 1.4% 3.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 7.6% 0.6% 12.9% 10
2000s 10.6% 5.4% 16.7% 10
2010s 9.0% 4.1% 19.3% 10
2020s 7.0% 6.1% 8.3% 6

Countries ranked near Estonia

  1. 39 Bosnia and Herzegovina 8.8% compare
  2. 40 Aruba 8.6% compare
  3. 41 Chile 8.4% compare
  4. 43 Lithuania 7.9% compare
  5. 44 Albania 7.9% compare
  6. 45 France 7.8% compare

See the full ranking of 205 places →

More work & labour data for Estonia

All data for Estonia →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Estonia?
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Estonia was 8.3% 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 Estonia?
The highest recorded value was 19.3% in 2010.
What is the lowest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Estonia?
The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 1990.
How does Estonia rank for unemployment, male (% of male labor force)?
Estonia ranks 42nd out of 181 countries with data for 2025.
Is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) rising or falling in Estonia?
Over the last ten years it is up 27.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Estonia 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.

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Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Estonia. Statizoid, drawing on Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/unemployment-male-percent-of-male-labor-force-national-estimate/estonia/

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About this data

Indicator
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate)
Source
Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
205 places, 5,415 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

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.