Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Singapore
Singapore: Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) was 3.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
3.2%
Change on year
down 5.0%
World rank
127th
of 181 countries
All-time high
7.4%
in 1986
All-time low
2.1%
in 1990
Years of data
51
1975–2025
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Singapore, 1975–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Singapore recorded 3.2% for unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in 2025.
The figure is down 5.0% on the previous year and down 11.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Singapore peaked at 7.4% in 1986 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 1990.
Singapore ranks 127th of 181 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Singapore, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 3.2% | — |
| 1976 | 3.9% | +20.2% |
| 1977 | 3.4% | -12.7% |
| 1978 | 3.3% | -3.2% |
| 1979 | 2.9% | -11.5% |
| 1980 | 2.9% | -1.7% |
| 1981 | 2.7% | -7.2% |
| 1982 | 2.4% | -9.8% |
| 1983 | 3.2% | +34.7% |
| 1984 | 2.6% | -18.8% |
| 1985 | 4.5% | +70.8% |
| 1986 | 7.4% | +66.1% |
| 1987 | 5.4% | -27.3% |
| 1988 | 4.1% | -24.3% |
| 1989 | 2.6% | -37.1% |
| 1990 | 2.1% | -16.6% |
| 1991 | 2.2% | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 3.0% | +37.7% |
| 1993 | 2.9% | -5.3% |
| 1994 | 2.8% | -3.1% |
| 1995 | 3.2% | +15.5% |
| 1996 | 3.4% | +5.3% |
| 1997 | 2.4% | -28.1% |
| 1998 | 3.2% | +32.5% |
| 1999 | 4.6% | +44.1% |
| 2000 | 3.9% | -15.9% |
| 2001 | 3.7% | -5.6% |
| 2002 | 5.6% | +51.1% |
| 2003 | 5.8% | +3.6% |
| 2004 | 5.6% | -3.3% |
| 2005 | 5.0% | -10.8% |
| 2006 | 4.1% | -16.7% |
| 2007 | 3.6% | -12.1% |
| 2008 | 3.6% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 5.4% | +48.8% |
| 2010 | 3.9% | -27.4% |
| 2011 | 3.6% | -8.2% |
| 2012 | 3.3% | -6.8% |
| 2013 | 3.5% | +3.6% |
| 2014 | 3.5% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 3.6% | +5.3% |
| 2016 | 3.8% | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 4.0% | +4.8% |
| 2018 | 3.7% | -6.1% |
| 2019 | 3.9% | +4.8% |
| 2020 | 4.9% | +26.0% |
| 2021 | 4.3% | -11.8% |
| 2022 | 3.4% | -21.7% |
| 2023 | 3.2% | -4.9% |
| 2024 | 3.4% | +5.1% |
| 2025 | 3.2% | -5.0% |
Singapore compared with similar countries
- Singapore's 3.2% is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.9%, 65% of the median. (75 countries reporting)
- Singapore's 3.2% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.5%, 93% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.3% | 2.9% | 3.9% | 5 |
| 1980s | 3.8% | 2.4% | 7.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.0% | 2.1% | 4.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.6% | 3.6% | 5.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.7% | 3.3% | 4.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.7% | 3.2% | 4.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Singapore
- 124 Belarus 3.4% compare
- 125 Faroe Islands 3.4% compare
- 126 Cayman Islands 3.3% compare
- 128 Malta 3.1% compare
- 129 Israel 3.1% compare
- 130 Kyrgyzstan 3.0% compare
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 unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Singapore?
- Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Singapore was 3.2% 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 Singapore?
- The highest recorded value was 7.4% in 1986.
- What is the lowest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Singapore?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 1990.
- How does Singapore rank for unemployment, male (% of male labor force)?
- Singapore ranks 127th out of 181 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) rising or falling in Singapore?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Singapore 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
CSV · JSON — 51 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.