Unemployment rate in Germany
Germany: Unemployment rate was 3.71 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
3.71
Change on year
up 9.1%
World rank
124th
of 186 countries
All-time high
11.19
in 2005
All-time low
3.07
in 2023
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in Germany, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate in Germany stood at 3.71.
The figure is up 9.1% on the previous year and down 19.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Germany peaked at 11.19 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 3.07, in 2023.
That places Germany 124th 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 Germany, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 5.32 | — |
| 1992 | 6.32 | +18.9% |
| 1993 | 7.67 | +21.4% |
| 1994 | 8.73 | +13.7% |
| 1995 | 8.16 | -6.5% |
| 1996 | 8.82 | +8.1% |
| 1997 | 9.86 | +11.8% |
| 1998 | 9.79 | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 8.85 | -9.5% |
| 2000 | 7.92 | -10.6% |
| 2001 | 7.77 | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 8.48 | +9.1% |
| 2003 | 9.78 | +15.3% |
| 2004 | 10.73 | +9.7% |
| 2005 | 11.19 | +4.3% |
| 2006 | 10.28 | -8.2% |
| 2007 | 8.73 | -15.0% |
| 2008 | 7.51 | -14.0% |
| 2009 | 7.88 | +5.0% |
| 2010 | 7.04 | -10.6% |
| 2011 | 5.97 | -15.3% |
| 2012 | 5.37 | -10.0% |
| 2013 | 5.32 | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 4.98 | -6.3% |
| 2015 | 4.61 | -7.4% |
| 2016 | 4.1 | -11.0% |
| 2017 | 3.78 | -7.9% |
| 2018 | 3.38 | -10.5% |
| 2019 | 3.16 | -6.5% |
| 2020 | 3.88 | +22.7% |
| 2021 | 3.59 | -7.4% |
| 2022 | 3.14 | -12.7% |
| 2023 | 3.07 | -2.1% |
| 2024 | 3.4 | +10.7% |
| 2025 | 3.71 | +9.1% |
Germany compared with similar countries
- Germany's 3.71 is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.04, 74% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Germany's 3.71 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5.56, 67% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.17 | 5.32 | 9.86 | 9 |
| 2000s | 9.03 | 7.51 | 11.19 | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.77 | 3.16 | 7.04 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.47 | 3.07 | 3.88 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More work & labour data for Germany
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.0436 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.0549 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0322 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.95 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.0388 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 66,826 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 12,413 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 35,391 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 35,508 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 70,900 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in Germany?
- Unemployment rate in Germany was 3.71 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 11.19 in 2005.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.07 in 2023.
- How does Germany rank for unemployment rate?
- Germany ranks 124th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Germany 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).