Unemployment rate in Portugal
Portugal: Unemployment rate was 9.56 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment rate in Portugal, 2014–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate in Portugal stood at 9.56. That is the lowest value across all 12 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.5% on the previous year and down 48.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Portugal peaked at 21.75 in 2014 and was at its lowest, 9.56, in 2025.
Portugal ranks 11th of 41 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Portugal, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 21.75 | — |
| 2015 | 18.58 | -14.6% |
| 2016 | 16.64 | -10.4% |
| 2017 | 14.09 | -15.4% |
| 2018 | 12.81 | -9.1% |
| 2019 | 11.5 | -10.2% |
| 2020 | 13.68 | +18.9% |
| 2021 | 12.03 | -12.1% |
| 2022 | 10.51 | -12.6% |
| 2023 | 10.44 | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 10.02 | -4.1% |
| 2025 | 9.56 | -4.5% |
Portugal compared with similar countries
- Portugal's 9.56 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6.93, 1.4× the median. (31 countries reporting)
- Portugal's 9.56 is above the median for high income countries, which is 6.33, 1.5× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 15.9 | 11.5 | 21.75 | 6 |
| 2020s | 11.04 | 9.56 | 13.68 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
More work & labour data for Portugal
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.0538 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.055 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0528 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.28 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.1795 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 7,134 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,861 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 4,504 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 4,250 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 8,754 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in Portugal?
- Unemployment rate in Portugal was 9.56 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 21.75 in 2014.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.56 in 2025.
- How does Portugal rank for unemployment rate?
- Portugal ranks 11th out of 41 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 48.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Portugal data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Unemployment rate (current ILO definition - ICLS19). 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 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 Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database description.