Unemployment rate in Germany
Germany: Unemployment rate was 3.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment rate in Germany, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate in Germany stood at 3.7%.
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 11.2% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 3.1%, 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.2% | 5.3% | 9.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 9.0% | 7.5% | 11.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.8% | 3.2% | 7.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.5% | 3.1% | 3.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More work & labour data for Germany
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Criminal sanctions or compensation for workplace sexual harassment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 60.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 66.1% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 83.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 55.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-6 80.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 83.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 76.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in Germany?
- Unemployment rate in Germany was 3.7% 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 Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 11.2% in 2005.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.1% 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 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.