Unemployment rate in Mozambique
Mozambique: Unemployment rate was 6.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment rate in Mozambique, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate in Mozambique stood at 6.6%.
The figure is down 0.6% on the previous year and up 93.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Mozambique peaked at 6.8% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 2.6%, in 1998.
That places Mozambique 67th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Mozambique, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2.8% | — |
| 1992 | 3.0% | +6.7% |
| 1993 | 2.9% | -4.4% |
| 1994 | 2.9% | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 2.8% | -4.2% |
| 1996 | 2.8% | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 2.7% | -2.3% |
| 1998 | 2.6% | -2.2% |
| 1999 | 2.7% | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 2.8% | +6.3% |
| 2001 | 2.8% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 2.9% | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 2.9% | -1.6% |
| 2004 | 3.0% | +3.4% |
| 2005 | 3.0% | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 3.0% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 3.1% | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 3.1% | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 3.2% | +3.1% |
| 2010 | 3.3% | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 3.3% | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 3.3% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 3.3% | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 3.4% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 3.4% | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 3.6% | +6.5% |
| 2017 | 3.9% | +7.8% |
| 2018 | 4.2% | +7.0% |
| 2019 | 4.5% | +6.0% |
| 2020 | 5.0% | +12.5% |
| 2021 | 5.4% | +7.9% |
| 2022 | 6.8% | +25.4% |
| 2023 | 6.7% | -1.9% |
| 2024 | 6.7% | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 6.6% | -0.6% |
Mozambique compared with similar countries
- Mozambique's 6.6% is above the median for low income countries, which is 4.4%, 1.5× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Mozambique's 6.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.4%, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment rate in Mozambique 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +25.4% | 5.4% | 6.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.8% | 2.6% | 3.0% | 9 |
| 2000s | 3.0% | 2.8% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.6% | 3.3% | 4.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.2% | 5.0% | 6.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Mozambique
More work & labour data for Mozambique
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.3732 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.3516 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.3933 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.6952 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 3.23 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 37,473 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 30,302 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 53,829 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 50,517 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 104,347 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in Mozambique?
- Unemployment rate in Mozambique 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 Mozambique?
- The highest recorded value was 6.8% in 2022.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Mozambique?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.6% in 1998.
- How does Mozambique rank for unemployment rate?
- Mozambique ranks 67th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Mozambique?
- Over the last ten years it is up 93.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Mozambique 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.