Unemployment rate in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Unemployment rate was 3.32 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
3.32
Change on year
down 1.0%
World rank
134th
of 186 countries
All-time high
4
in 2020
All-time low
2.25
in 2013
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in Ethiopia, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate in Ethiopia stood at 3.32.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.0% on the previous year and up 36.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Ethiopia peaked at 4 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2.25, in 2013.
Ethiopia ranks 134th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Unemployment rate in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 3.28 | — |
| 1992 | 3.42 | +4.0% |
| 1993 | 3.25 | -4.8% |
| 1994 | 3.1 | -4.7% |
| 1995 | 3 | -3.1% |
| 1996 | 3.12 | +3.9% |
| 1997 | 3.23 | +3.4% |
| 1998 | 3.48 | +7.9% |
| 1999 | 3.71 | +6.7% |
| 2000 | 3.5 | -5.8% |
| 2001 | 3.16 | -9.7% |
| 2002 | 3.05 | -3.4% |
| 2003 | 3.01 | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 2.78 | -7.7% |
| 2005 | 2.5 | -10.1% |
| 2006 | 2.34 | -6.4% |
| 2007 | 2.34 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 2.33 | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 2.33 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 2.29 | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 2.27 | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 2.25 | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 2.25 | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 2.36 | +4.9% |
| 2015 | 2.44 | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 2.56 | +4.7% |
| 2017 | 2.67 | +4.3% |
| 2018 | 2.81 | +5.5% |
| 2019 | 2.93 | +4.2% |
| 2020 | 4 | +36.5% |
| 2021 | 3.94 | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 3.39 | -14.0% |
| 2023 | 3.38 | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 3.36 | -0.5% |
| 2025 | 3.32 | -1.0% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 3.32 is below the median for low income countries, which is 4.43, 75% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 3.32 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.45, 61% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.29 | 3 | 3.71 | 9 |
| 2000s | 2.73 | 2.33 | 3.5 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.48 | 2.25 | 2.93 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.56 | 3.32 | 4 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
- 131 Burkina Faso 3.48 compare
- 132 Belarus 3.38 compare
- 133 Trinidad and Tobago 3.33 compare
- 135 Ecuador 3.31 compare
- 136 El Salvador 3.3 compare
- 137 Jamaica 3.29 compare
More work & labour data for Ethiopia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.4782 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.4959 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.4604 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.1765 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.96 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 74,537 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 116,333 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 183,282 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 184,008 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 367,290 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in Ethiopia?
- Unemployment rate in Ethiopia was 3.32 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 4 in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.25 in 2013.
- How does Ethiopia rank for unemployment rate?
- Ethiopia ranks 134th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 36.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Ethiopia 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).