Unemployment rate in Guyana
Guyana: Unemployment rate was 12.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
12.0%
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
26th
of 186 countries
All-time high
15.3%
in 2020
All-time low
10.7%
in 2006
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in Guyana, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate in Guyana stood at 12.0%.
That represents a change of up 0.7% on the previous year and down 8.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Guyana peaked at 15.3% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 10.7%, in 2006.
That places Guyana 26th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Guyana, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 12.1% | — |
| 1992 | 11.9% | -1.6% |
| 1993 | 11.6% | -2.4% |
| 1994 | 11.5% | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 11.6% | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 11.5% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 11.6% | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 11.7% | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 11.8% | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 11.9% | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 11.8% | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 11.8% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 11.5% | -2.4% |
| 2004 | 11.3% | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 11.1% | -1.7% |
| 2006 | 10.7% | -3.5% |
| 2007 | 10.8% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 11.0% | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 11.3% | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 11.6% | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 11.8% | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 12.0% | +1.8% |
| 2013 | 12.3% | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 12.6% | +2.8% |
| 2015 | 13.0% | +2.9% |
| 2016 | 13.3% | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 13.5% | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 13.6% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 13.2% | -3.3% |
| 2020 | 15.3% | +16.2% |
| 2021 | 14.6% | -4.8% |
| 2022 | 11.9% | -18.3% |
| 2023 | 11.9% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 11.9% | -0.4% |
| 2025 | 12.0% | +0.7% |
Guyana compared with similar countries
- Guyana's 12.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 5.0%, 2.4× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Guyana's 12.0% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 6.0%, 2.0× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.7% | 11.5% | 12.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 11.3% | 10.7% | 11.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.7% | 11.6% | 13.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.9% | 11.9% | 15.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Guyana
- 23 South Sudan 12.4% compare
- 24 North Macedonia 12.3% compare
- 25 Georgia 12.1% compare
- 27 Cape Verde 11.9% compare
- 28 French Polynesia 11.7% compare
- 29 Algeria 11.6% compare
More work & labour data for Guyana
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.4095 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.3957 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.4228 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9077 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.9156 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 295.49 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 526.41 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 455.78 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 433.17 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 888.95 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in Guyana?
- Unemployment rate in Guyana was 12.0% 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 Guyana?
- The highest recorded value was 15.3% in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Guyana?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.7% in 2006.
- How does Guyana rank for unemployment rate?
- Guyana ranks 26th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Guyana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Guyana 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.