Unemployment rate in Japan
Japan: Unemployment rate was 2.45 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
2.45
Change on year
down 2.0%
World rank
163rd
of 186 countries
All-time high
5.39
in 2002
All-time low
2.06
in 1991
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in Japan, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate in Japan stood at 2.45.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.0% on the previous year and down 27.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Japan peaked at 5.39 in 2002 and was at its lowest, 2.06, in 1991.
That places Japan 163rd out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Japan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2.06 | — |
| 1992 | 2.16 | +4.8% |
| 1993 | 2.54 | +17.7% |
| 1994 | 2.89 | +13.8% |
| 1995 | 3.15 | +9.0% |
| 1996 | 3.38 | +7.4% |
| 1997 | 3.37 | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 4.08 | +20.9% |
| 1999 | 4.68 | +14.7% |
| 2000 | 4.75 | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 5.02 | +5.7% |
| 2002 | 5.39 | +7.3% |
| 2003 | 5.25 | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 4.73 | -9.8% |
| 2005 | 4.45 | -6.1% |
| 2006 | 4.19 | -5.7% |
| 2007 | 3.89 | -7.3% |
| 2008 | 4 | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 5.07 | +26.6% |
| 2010 | 5.1 | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 4.55 | -10.8% |
| 2012 | 4.36 | -4.2% |
| 2013 | 4.04 | -7.3% |
| 2014 | 3.59 | -11.1% |
| 2015 | 3.38 | -5.7% |
| 2016 | 3.13 | -7.5% |
| 2017 | 2.82 | -9.9% |
| 2018 | 2.47 | -12.6% |
| 2019 | 2.35 | -4.7% |
| 2020 | 2.81 | +19.5% |
| 2021 | 2.81 | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 2.61 | -6.9% |
| 2023 | 2.6 | -0.5% |
| 2024 | 2.5 | -3.8% |
| 2025 | 2.45 | -2.0% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 2.45 is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.04, 49% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Japan's 2.45 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.05, 80% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.15 | 2.06 | 4.68 | 9 |
| 2000s | 4.67 | 3.89 | 5.39 | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.58 | 2.35 | 5.1 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.63 | 2.45 | 2.81 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 161 Guatemala 2.6 compare
- 162 Papua New Guinea 2.57 compare
- 164 Macao 2.35 compare
- 165 Cote d'Ivoire 2.32 compare
- 166 Philippines 2.23 compare
More work & labour data for Japan
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.4984 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.5262 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.4728 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.25 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.4618 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 103,039 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,756 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 39,867 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 36,979 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 76,846 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in Japan?
- Unemployment rate in Japan was 2.45 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 5.39 in 2002.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.06 in 1991.
- How does Japan rank for unemployment rate?
- Japan ranks 163rd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan 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).