Unemployment rate in Latvia

Latvia: Unemployment rate was 6.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
6.6%
Change on year
down 4.8%
World rank
68th
of 186 countries
All-time high
20.7%
in 1996
All-time low
2.7%
in 1991
Years of data
35
1991–2025

Unemployment rate in Latvia, 1991–2025

51015201991200820251991: 2.7 %1992: 6.6 %1993: 16.7 %1994: 18.7 %1995: 19 %1996: 20.7 %1997: 14.9 %1998: 14.5 %1999: 13.8 %2000: 14.2 %2001: 13.8 %2002: 13.8 %2003: 12.1 %2004: 11.7 %2005: 10 %2006: 7 %2007: 6.1 %2008: 7.7 %2009: 17.5 %2010: 19.5 %2011: 16.2 %2012: 15 %2013: 11.9 %2014: 10.8 %2015: 9.9 %2016: 9.6 %2017: 8.7 %2018: 7.4 %2019: 6.3 %2020: 8.1 %2021: 7.5 %2022: 6.8 %2023: 6.5 %2024: 6.9 %2025: 6.6 %

Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for unemployment rate in Latvia is 6.6%, measured in 2025.

That represents a change of down 4.8% on the previous year and down 33.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Latvia peaked at 20.7% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 2.7%, in 1991.

Latvia ranks 68th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 14.2% 2.7% 20.7% 9
2000s 11.4% 6.1% 17.5% 10
2010s 11.5% 6.3% 19.5% 10
2020s 7.1% 6.5% 8.1% 6

Countries ranked near Latvia

  1. 65 Egypt 6.8% compare
  2. 66 Lithuania 6.7% compare
  3. 67 Mozambique 6.6% compare
  4. 69 Barbados 6.5% compare
  5. 70 Gambia 6.5% compare
  6. 71 Italy 6.4% compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More work & labour data for Latvia

All data for Latvia →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rate in Latvia?
Unemployment rate in Latvia was 6.6% 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 Latvia?
The highest recorded value was 20.7% in 1996.
What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Latvia?
The lowest recorded value was 2.7% in 1991.
How does Latvia rank for unemployment rate?
Latvia ranks 68th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Latvia?
Over the last ten years it is down 33.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Latvia 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.

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About this data

Indicator
Unemployment rate
Unit
%
Source
ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
186 places, 6,496 data points, 1991–2025
Last refreshed

Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon.