Unemployment rate in Peru
Peru: Unemployment rate was 5.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment rate in Peru, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Peru recorded 5.1% for unemployment rate in 2025.
That represents a change of down 1.6% on the previous year and up 56.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Peru peaked at 7.2% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 3.2%, in 2014.
That places Peru 94th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Peru, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 4.9% | — |
| 1992 | 5.1% | +2.9% |
| 1993 | 4.8% | -5.4% |
| 1994 | 4.5% | -6.3% |
| 1995 | 4.7% | +4.8% |
| 1996 | 4.9% | +4.7% |
| 1997 | 4.8% | -3.4% |
| 1998 | 5.1% | +7.1% |
| 1999 | 5.0% | -1.7% |
| 2000 | 5.0% | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 5.1% | +2.2% |
| 2002 | 4.8% | -4.5% |
| 2003 | 4.2% | -14.3% |
| 2004 | 4.7% | +13.5% |
| 2005 | 4.9% | +3.4% |
| 2006 | 4.2% | -14.4% |
| 2007 | 4.1% | -2.2% |
| 2008 | 4.0% | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 4.0% | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 3.6% | -9.1% |
| 2011 | 3.5% | -3.4% |
| 2012 | 3.2% | -6.9% |
| 2013 | 3.6% | +10.4% |
| 2014 | 3.2% | -10.3% |
| 2015 | 3.3% | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 3.7% | +14.3% |
| 2017 | 3.7% | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 3.5% | -5.4% |
| 2019 | 3.4% | -3.2% |
| 2020 | 7.2% | +112.5% |
| 2021 | 5.1% | -29.0% |
| 2022 | 4.3% | -15.8% |
| 2023 | 4.9% | +14.2% |
| 2024 | 5.2% | +6.1% |
| 2025 | 5.1% | -1.6% |
Peru compared with similar countries
- Peru's 5.1% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.6%, 91% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Peru's 5.1% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 6.0%, 85% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment rate in Peru 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 | +112.5% | 3.4% | 7.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4.9% | 4.5% | 5.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 4.5% | 4.0% | 5.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.5% | 3.2% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.3% | 4.3% | 7.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Peru
More work & labour data for Peru
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.4349 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.4225 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.4473 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.29 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.6786 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 35,667 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,953 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 19,027 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 19,136 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 38,163 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in Peru?
- Unemployment rate in Peru was 5.1% 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 Peru?
- The highest recorded value was 7.2% in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Peru?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.2% in 2014.
- How does Peru rank for unemployment rate?
- Peru ranks 94th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Peru?
- Over the last ten years it is up 56.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Peru 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.