Unemployment rate in Brazil

Brazil: Unemployment rate was 6.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
6.0%
Change on year
down 12.2%
World rank
78th
of 186 countries
All-time high
13.7%
in 2020
All-time low
6.0%
in 2025
Years of data
35
1991–2025

Unemployment rate in Brazil, 1991–2025

0510151991200820251991: 6.9 %1992: 7.1 %1993: 6 %1994: 6.6 %1995: 7.1 %1996: 8 %1997: 9 %1998: 10.2 %1999: 11.1 %2000: 10.9 %2001: 10.6 %2002: 10.6 %2003: 11.2 %2004: 10.1 %2005: 10.6 %2006: 9.7 %2007: 9.3 %2008: 8.3 %2009: 9.4 %2010: 8.4 %2011: 7.6 %2012: 7.3 %2013: 7.1 %2014: 6.8 %2015: 8.5 %2016: 11.6 %2017: 12.8 %2018: 12.3 %2019: 11.9 %2020: 13.7 %2021: 13.2 %2022: 9.2 %2023: 7.9 %2024: 6.8 %2025: 6 %

Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2025, unemployment rate in Brazil stood at 6.0%. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 12.2% on the previous year and down 30.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Brazil peaked at 13.7% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 6.0%, in 2025.

That places Brazil 78th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 8.0% 6.0% 11.1% 9
2000s 10.1% 8.3% 11.2% 10
2010s 9.4% 6.8% 12.8% 10
2020s 9.5% 6.0% 13.7% 6

Countries ranked near Brazil

  1. 75 Romania 6.0% compare
  2. 76 Puerto Rico 6.0% compare
  3. 77 Eritrea 6.0% compare
  4. 79 Zambia 5.9% compare
  5. 80 Belgium 5.9% compare
  6. 81 Mauritius 5.6% compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More work & labour data for Brazil

All data for Brazil →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rate in Brazil?
Unemployment rate in Brazil was 6.0% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Brazil?
The highest recorded value was 13.7% in 2020.
What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Brazil?
The lowest recorded value was 6.0% in 2025.
How does Brazil rank for unemployment rate?
Brazil ranks 78th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Brazil?
Over the last ten years it is down 30.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Brazil data come from?
The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Unemployment rate
Unit
%
Source
ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
186 places, 6,496 data points, 1991–2025
Last refreshed

Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon.