Unemployment rate in Ecuador
Ecuador: Unemployment rate was 3.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment rate in Ecuador, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate in Ecuador stood at 3.3%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.2% on the previous year and down 8.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Ecuador peaked at 6.1% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 3.1%, in 2013.
That places Ecuador 135th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Ecuador, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 4.4% | — |
| 1992 | 4.3% | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 4.4% | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 4.4% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 4.4% | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 4.4% | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 4.4% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 4.4% | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 4.7% | +6.1% |
| 2000 | 4.8% | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 4.3% | -11.4% |
| 2002 | 4.8% | +13.5% |
| 2003 | 5.7% | +17.3% |
| 2004 | 5.0% | -11.7% |
| 2005 | 3.8% | -24.5% |
| 2006 | 3.5% | -6.1% |
| 2007 | 3.1% | -11.5% |
| 2008 | 3.9% | +24.7% |
| 2009 | 4.6% | +17.6% |
| 2010 | 4.1% | -11.3% |
| 2011 | 3.5% | -15.4% |
| 2012 | 3.2% | -6.4% |
| 2013 | 3.1% | -4.7% |
| 2014 | 3.5% | +12.9% |
| 2015 | 3.6% | +3.9% |
| 2016 | 4.6% | +27.1% |
| 2017 | 3.8% | -16.6% |
| 2018 | 3.5% | -8.0% |
| 2019 | 3.8% | +8.0% |
| 2020 | 6.1% | +60.4% |
| 2021 | 4.5% | -26.4% |
| 2022 | 3.7% | -17.6% |
| 2023 | 3.5% | -5.5% |
| 2024 | 3.5% | -1.6% |
| 2025 | 3.3% | -4.2% |
Ecuador compared with similar countries
- Ecuador's 3.3% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.6%, 59% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Ecuador's 3.3% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 6.0%, 55% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4.4% | 4.3% | 4.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 4.4% | 3.1% | 5.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.7% | 3.1% | 4.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.1% | 3.3% | 6.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ecuador
More work & labour data for Ecuador
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.578 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.567 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.589 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.04 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.13 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 17,174 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,794 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 9,543 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 9,549 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 19,092 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in Ecuador?
- Unemployment rate in Ecuador was 3.3% 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 Ecuador?
- The highest recorded value was 6.1% in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Ecuador?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.1% in 2013.
- How does Ecuador rank for unemployment rate?
- Ecuador ranks 135th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Ecuador?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ecuador 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon.