Unemployment rate in Germany

Germany: Unemployment rate was 5.8 in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
5.8
Change on year
down 6.7%
World rank
27th
of 58 countries
All-time high
12.11
in 2005
All-time low
5.8
in 2022
Years of data
18
2005–2022

Unemployment rate in Germany, 2005–2022

02.557.51012.52005201320222005: 12.12006: 9.72007: 11.12008: 10.32009: 10.72010: 10.22011: 8.62012: 8.32013: 8.22014: 8.22015: 8.22016: 7.32017: 6.92018: 6.62019: 6.12020: 6.72021: 6.22022: 5.8

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2022, unemployment rate in Germany stood at 5.8. That is the lowest value across all 18 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.7% on the previous year and down 30.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Germany peaked at 12.11 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 5.8, in 2022.

Germany ranks 27th of 58 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 18 years of available data.

Unemployment rate in Germany, year by year

Annual values for Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Germany, 2005 to 2022.
Year Value Change
2005 12.11
2006 9.68 -20.1%
2007 11.1 +14.6%
2008 10.32 -7.0%
2009 10.69 +3.6%
2010 10.19 -4.7%
2011 8.6 -15.6%
2012 8.35 -3.0%
2013 8.24 -1.3%
2014 8.24 +0.1%
2015 8.2 -0.5%
2016 7.31 -10.9%
2017 6.89 -5.7%
2018 6.56 -4.9%
2019 6.13 -6.5%
2020 6.69 +9.1%
2021 6.22 -7.0%
2022 5.8 -6.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 10.78 9.68 12.11 5
2010s 7.87 6.13 10.19 10
2020s 6.24 5.8 6.69 3

Countries ranked near Germany

  1. 24 Denmark 6.38 compare
  2. 25 Ireland 6.27 compare
  3. 26 Cyprus 6.24 compare
  4. 27 Russian Federation 5.8 compare
  5. 29 Senegal 5.78 compare
  6. 30 Belgium 5.69 compare

See the full ranking of 58 places →

More work & labour data for Germany

All data for Germany →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rate in Germany?
Unemployment rate in Germany was 5.8 in 2022, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Germany?
The highest recorded value was 12.11 in 2005.
What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Germany?
The lowest recorded value was 5.8 in 2022.
How does Germany rank for unemployment rate?
Germany ranks 27th out of 58 countries with data for 2022.
Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Germany?
Over the last ten years it is down 30.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Germany data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Unemployment rate in Germany. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/unemployment-rate-previous-ilo-definition-icls13/germany/

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About this data

Indicator
Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
58 places, 869 data points, 1996–2025
Last refreshed

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 is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. 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. The term disability, as defined in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), is used as an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. For measurement purposes, a person with disability is defined as a person who is limited in the kind or amount of activities that he or she can do because of ongoing difficulties due to a long-term physical condition, mental condition or health problem. For more information, refer to the Disability Labour Market Indicators (DLMI) database description.