Unemployment rate of males vs females in Japan

Japan: Unemployment rate of males vs females was 2.58 in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
2.58
Change on year
down 2.0%
World rank
155th
of 186 countries
All-time high
5.57
in 2002
All-time low
1.95
in 1991
Years of data
35
1991–2025

Unemployment rate of males vs females in Japan, 1991–2025

234561991200820251991: 1.91992: 2.11993: 2.41994: 2.81995: 3.11996: 3.41997: 3.41998: 4.11999: 4.82000: 4.92001: 5.22002: 5.62003: 5.52004: 52005: 4.62006: 4.42007: 42008: 4.12009: 5.32010: 5.52011: 4.82012: 4.62013: 4.32014: 3.82015: 3.62016: 3.42017: 32018: 2.72019: 2.52020: 32021: 32022: 2.82023: 2.82024: 2.62025: 2.6

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2025, unemployment rate of males vs females in Japan stood at 2.58.

The figure is down 2.0% on the previous year and down 28.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rate of males vs females in Japan peaked at 5.57 in 2002 and was at its lowest, 1.95, in 1991.

Japan ranks 155th of 186 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.

Unemployment rate of males vs females in Japan, year by year

Annual values for Unemployment rate of males vs females in Japan, 1991 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1991 1.95 —
1992 2.1 +8.0%
1993 2.44 +16.1%
1994 2.83 +16.2%
1995 3.08 +8.5%
1996 3.36 +9.2%
1997 3.38 +0.6%
1998 4.15 +22.8%
1999 4.82 +16.2%
2000 4.91 +1.9%
2001 5.21 +6.1%
2002 5.57 +6.8%
2003 5.5 -1.2%
2004 4.95 -10.0%
2005 4.61 -7.0%
2006 4.38 -4.9%
2007 3.97 -9.2%
2008 4.11 +3.3%
2009 5.27 +28.4%
2010 5.46 +3.6%
2011 4.84 -11.4%
2012 4.58 -5.4%
2013 4.3 -6.1%
2014 3.75 -12.7%
2015 3.6 -4.0%
2016 3.36 -6.9%
2017 2.96 -11.9%
2018 2.65 -10.4%
2019 2.5 -5.8%
2020 3.03 +21.4%
2021 3.03 +0.1%
2022 2.83 -6.8%
2023 2.83 +0.0%
2024 2.63 -6.9%
2025 2.58 -2.0%

Japan compared with similar countries

  • Japan's 2.58 is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.94, 52% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
  • Japan's 2.58 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.35, 77% of the median. (29 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 3.12 1.95 4.82 9
2000s 4.85 3.97 5.57 10
2010s 3.8 2.5 5.46 10
2020s 2.82 2.58 3.03 6

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 152 Macao 2.65 compare
  2. 153 Bhutan 2.64 compare
  3. 154 Mexico 2.64 compare
  4. 156 Senegal 2.52 compare
  5. 157 Jamaica 2.43 compare
  6. 158 Czechia 2.42 compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More work & labour data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rate of males vs females in Japan?
Unemployment rate of males vs females in Japan was 2.58 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest unemployment rate of males vs females recorded in Japan?
The highest recorded value was 5.57 in 2002.
What is the lowest unemployment rate of males vs females recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 1.95 in 1991.
How does Japan rank for unemployment rate of males vs females?
Japan ranks 155th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
Is unemployment rate of males vs females rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is down 28.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Japan data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate of males vs females. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Unemployment rate of males vs females in Japan. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 11 November 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/unemployment-rate-of-males-vs-females/japan/

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About this data

Indicator
Unemployment rate of males vs females
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
186 places, 6,496 data points, 1991–2025
Last refreshed