Unemployment rate in Estonia
Estonia: Unemployment rate was 8.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment rate in Estonia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate in Estonia stood at 8.3%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.4% on the previous year and up 29.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Estonia peaked at 16.7% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 1.5%, in 1991.
That places Estonia 53rd 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 Estonia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1.5% | — |
| 1992 | 3.7% | +150.7% |
| 1993 | 6.5% | +77.8% |
| 1994 | 7.6% | +15.5% |
| 1995 | 9.7% | +27.7% |
| 1996 | 9.9% | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 10.4% | +4.6% |
| 1998 | 9.5% | -8.3% |
| 1999 | 11.6% | +21.7% |
| 2000 | 13.4% | +15.4% |
| 2001 | 13.1% | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 10.0% | -23.7% |
| 2003 | 11.3% | +12.6% |
| 2004 | 10.2% | -9.2% |
| 2005 | 8.0% | -21.6% |
| 2006 | 5.9% | -26.4% |
| 2007 | 4.6% | -22.4% |
| 2008 | 5.5% | +18.8% |
| 2009 | 13.5% | +148.4% |
| 2010 | 16.7% | +23.3% |
| 2011 | 12.3% | -26.2% |
| 2012 | 10.0% | -18.7% |
| 2013 | 8.6% | -13.9% |
| 2014 | 7.4% | -14.8% |
| 2015 | 6.4% | -12.8% |
| 2016 | 6.9% | +7.3% |
| 2017 | 5.8% | -15.6% |
| 2018 | 5.4% | -6.8% |
| 2019 | 4.5% | -16.6% |
| 2020 | 7.0% | +54.1% |
| 2021 | 6.2% | -11.2% |
| 2022 | 5.6% | -9.8% |
| 2023 | 6.4% | +14.5% |
| 2024 | 7.6% | +19.2% |
| 2025 | 8.3% | +9.4% |
Estonia compared with similar countries
- Estonia's 8.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 5.0%, 1.6× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Estonia's 8.3% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5.6%, 1.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment rate in Estonia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | +150.7% | 1.5% | 3.7% |
| 2009 | +148.4% | 5.5% | 13.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 7.8% | 1.5% | 11.6% | 9 |
| 2000s | 9.6% | 4.6% | 13.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.4% | 4.5% | 16.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.8% | 5.6% | 8.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Estonia
More work & labour data for Estonia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.67 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.6763 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.6638 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.77 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.1039 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 885.23 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 259.52 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 417.66 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 407.84 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 825.5 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in Estonia?
- Unemployment rate in Estonia was 8.3% 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 Estonia?
- The highest recorded value was 16.7% in 2010.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Estonia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.5% in 1991.
- How does Estonia rank for unemployment rate?
- Estonia ranks 53rd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Estonia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Estonia 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
Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon.