Unemployment rate in Mauritius
Mauritius: Unemployment rate was 5.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment rate in Mauritius, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate in Mauritius stood at 5.6%.
That represents a change of up 1.6% on the previous year and down 24.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Mauritius peaked at 9.6% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 5.5%, in 2024.
Mauritius ranks 81st 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.
Unemployment rate in Mauritius, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 9.5% | — |
| 1992 | 9.4% | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 9.5% | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 9.5% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 9.6% | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 9.5% | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 9.4% | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 9.3% | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 9.3% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 9.1% | -1.6% |
| 2001 | 9.1% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 8.2% | -10.2% |
| 2003 | 8.3% | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 8.3% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 9.5% | +14.2% |
| 2006 | 9.0% | -5.1% |
| 2007 | 8.5% | -6.2% |
| 2008 | 7.2% | -15.4% |
| 2009 | 7.3% | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 7.7% | +5.5% |
| 2011 | 7.4% | -2.7% |
| 2012 | 7.5% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 7.3% | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 7.5% | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 7.4% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 6.8% | -8.0% |
| 2017 | 6.8% | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 6.4% | -4.8% |
| 2019 | 6.3% | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 8.6% | +36.3% |
| 2021 | 7.7% | -10.5% |
| 2022 | 6.3% | -18.1% |
| 2023 | 5.6% | -11.9% |
| 2024 | 5.5% | -0.4% |
| 2025 | 5.6% | +1.6% |
Mauritius compared with similar countries
- Mauritius's 5.6% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.6%, 1.0× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Mauritius's 5.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.4%, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment rate in Mauritius changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +36.3% | 6.3% | 8.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.4% | 9.3% | 9.6% | 9 |
| 2000s | 8.5% | 7.2% | 9.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.1% | 6.3% | 7.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.6% | 5.5% | 8.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Mauritius
More work & labour data for Mauritius
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -1.42 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -1.34 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -1.49 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.32 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.4521 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 604.35 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 616.68 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 298.03 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 283.69 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 581.72 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in Mauritius?
- Unemployment rate in Mauritius was 5.6% 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 Mauritius?
- The highest recorded value was 9.6% in 1995.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Mauritius?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.5% in 2024.
- How does Mauritius rank for unemployment rate?
- Mauritius ranks 81st out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Mauritius?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Mauritius 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
Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon.