Unemployment rate in Australia
Australia: Unemployment rate was 4.09 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
4.09
Change on year
up 3.8%
World rank
118th
of 186 countries
All-time high
10.88
in 1993
All-time low
3.67
in 2023
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in Australia, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment rate in Australia is 4.09, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.8% on the previous year and down 32.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Australia peaked at 10.88 in 1993 and was at its lowest, 3.67, in 2023.
Australia ranks 118th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Australia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 9.59 | — |
| 1992 | 10.73 | +12.0% |
| 1993 | 10.88 | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 9.72 | -10.6% |
| 1995 | 8.47 | -12.9% |
| 1996 | 8.51 | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 8.37 | -1.7% |
| 1998 | 7.68 | -8.2% |
| 1999 | 6.88 | -10.5% |
| 2000 | 6.29 | -8.6% |
| 2001 | 6.75 | +7.3% |
| 2002 | 6.38 | -5.5% |
| 2003 | 5.93 | -6.9% |
| 2004 | 5.4 | -9.0% |
| 2005 | 5.04 | -6.7% |
| 2006 | 4.79 | -5.0% |
| 2007 | 4.38 | -8.4% |
| 2008 | 4.24 | -3.2% |
| 2009 | 5.57 | +31.2% |
| 2010 | 5.21 | -6.3% |
| 2011 | 5.08 | -2.5% |
| 2012 | 5.22 | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 5.66 | +8.4% |
| 2014 | 6.08 | +7.3% |
| 2015 | 6.05 | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 5.71 | -5.7% |
| 2017 | 5.59 | -2.1% |
| 2018 | 5.34 | -4.4% |
| 2019 | 5.14 | -3.8% |
| 2020 | 6.39 | +24.3% |
| 2021 | 5.02 | -21.5% |
| 2022 | 3.73 | -25.8% |
| 2023 | 3.67 | -1.6% |
| 2024 | 3.94 | +7.5% |
| 2025 | 4.09 | +3.8% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 4.09 is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.04, 81% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Australia's 4.09 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.05, 1.3× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.98 | 6.88 | 10.88 | 9 |
| 2000s | 5.48 | 4.24 | 6.75 | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.51 | 5.08 | 6.08 | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.47 | 3.67 | 6.39 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 115 Turkmenistan 4.27 compare
- 116 India 4.22 compare
- 117 United States 4.2 compare
- 119 Sri Lanka 4 compare
- 120 Netherlands 3.87 compare
- 121 Comoros 3.82 compare
More work & labour data for Australia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.5057 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.4907 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.5202 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9895 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.8931 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 30,186 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 3,001 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 21,642 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 21,502 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 43,144 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in Australia?
- Unemployment rate in Australia was 4.09 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 10.88 in 1993.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.67 in 2023.
- How does Australia rank for unemployment rate?
- Australia ranks 118th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 32.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).