Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) in East Timor

East Timor: Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) was 1.77 in 2027. ▼ Falling

Latest (2027)
1.77
Change on year
up 5.1%
World rank
174th
of 188 countries
All-time high
4.66
in 2016
All-time low
1.52
in 2024
Years of data
37
1991–2027

Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) in East Timor, 1991–2027

23451991200920271991: 3.51992: 3.41993: 3.31994: 3.31995: 3.31996: 3.41997: 3.41998: 3.51999: 3.62000: 3.52001: 3.42002: 3.42003: 3.52004: 3.72005: 3.62006: 3.62007: 3.52008: 3.42009: 3.32010: 3.32011: 3.42012: 3.52013: 3.62014: 3.62015: 3.72016: 4.72017: 4.32018: 3.82019: 3.12020: 2.82021: 2.32022: 1.52023: 1.52024: 1.52025: 1.62026: 1.72027: 1.8

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2027, unemployment rate (ilo modelled estimates) in East Timor stood at 1.77.

That represents a change of up 5.1% on the previous year and down 58.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rate (ilo modelled estimates) in East Timor peaked at 4.66 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 1.52, in 2024.

That places East Timor 174th out of 188 countries with data for 2027, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 37 years of available data.

Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) in East Timor, year by year

Annual values for Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) in East Timor, 1991 to 2027.
Year Value Change
1991 3.45 —
1992 3.36 -2.7%
1993 3.27 -2.6%
1994 3.31 +1.1%
1995 3.35 +1.2%
1996 3.37 +0.7%
1997 3.41 +1.0%
1998 3.5 +2.8%
1999 3.63 +3.8%
2000 3.53 -2.9%
2001 3.39 -4.1%
2002 3.37 -0.4%
2003 3.54 +5.0%
2004 3.67 +3.6%
2005 3.61 -1.6%
2006 3.63 +0.6%
2007 3.52 -3.1%
2008 3.43 -2.5%
2009 3.29 -4.2%
2010 3.3 +0.4%
2011 3.38 +2.5%
2012 3.47 +2.5%
2013 3.57 +2.9%
2014 3.62 +1.3%
2015 3.68 +1.7%
2016 4.66 +26.6%
2017 4.25 -8.7%
2018 3.77 -11.5%
2019 3.15 -16.4%
2020 2.81 -10.8%
2021 2.34 -16.5%
2022 1.54 -34.4%
2023 1.52 -0.8%
2024 1.52 -0.1%
2025 1.59 +4.5%
2026 1.68 +5.7%
2027 1.77 +5.1%

East Timor compared with similar countries

  • East Timor's 1.77 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.08, 35% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
  • East Timor's 1.77 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.96, 60% of the median. (29 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) in East Timor 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
2022 -34.4% 2.34 1.54

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 3.41 3.27 3.63 9
2000s 3.5 3.29 3.67 10
2010s 3.68 3.15 4.66 10
2020s 1.85 1.52 2.81 8

Countries ranked near East Timor

  1. 171 Togo 2.09 compare
  2. 172 Tonga 2.07 compare
  3. 173 Russia 1.83 compare
  4. 175 Cuba 1.73 compare
  5. 176 Vietnam 1.61 compare
  6. 177 Benin 1.54 compare

See the full ranking of 276 places →

More work & labour data for East Timor

All data for East Timor →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rate (ilo modelled estimates) in East Timor?
Unemployment rate (ilo modelled estimates) in East Timor was 1.77 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest unemployment rate (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in East Timor?
The highest recorded value was 4.66 in 2016.
What is the lowest unemployment rate (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in East Timor?
The lowest recorded value was 1.52 in 2024.
How does East Timor rank for unemployment rate (ilo modelled estimates)?
East Timor ranks 174th out of 188 countries with data for 2027.
Is unemployment rate (ilo modelled estimates) rising or falling in East Timor?
Over the last ten years it is down 58.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this East Timor data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) in East Timor. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 23 October 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/unemployment-rate-ilo-modelled-estimates-15/timor-leste/

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About this data

Indicator
Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) (15+)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
276 places, 10,188 data points, 1991–2027
Last refreshed

Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. 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 ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.