Unemployment rate in Russia

Russia: Unemployment rate was 2.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
2.1%
Change on year
down 12.2%
World rank
169th
of 186 countries
All-time high
13.3%
in 1998
All-time low
2.1%
in 2025
Years of data
35
1991–2025

Unemployment rate in Russia, 1991–2025

2.557.51012.51991200820251991: 5.1 %1992: 5.2 %1993: 5.9 %1994: 8.1 %1995: 9.4 %1996: 9.7 %1997: 11.8 %1998: 13.3 %1999: 13 %2000: 10.6 %2001: 9 %2002: 7.9 %2003: 8.2 %2004: 7.8 %2005: 7.1 %2006: 7.1 %2007: 6 %2008: 6.2 %2009: 8.3 %2010: 7.4 %2011: 6.6 %2012: 5.5 %2013: 5.5 %2014: 5.2 %2015: 5.6 %2016: 5.6 %2017: 5.2 %2018: 4.9 %2019: 4.5 %2020: 5.6 %2021: 4.7 %2022: 3.9 %2023: 3.1 %2024: 2.4 %2025: 2.1 %

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

Analysis

Russia recorded 2.1% for unemployment rate in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.

That represents a change of down 12.2% on the previous year and down 62.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Russia peaked at 13.3% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 2025.

That places Russia 169th 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 9.1% 5.1% 13.3% 9
2000s 7.8% 6.0% 10.6% 10
2010s 5.6% 4.5% 7.4% 10
2020s 3.6% 2.1% 5.6% 6

Countries ranked near Russia

  1. 166 Philippines 2.2% compare
  2. 167 Kuwait 2.2% compare
  3. 168 United Arab Emirates 2.2% compare
  4. 170 Tonga 2.0% compare
  5. 171 Togo 2.0% compare
  6. 172 Cuba 1.7% compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More work & labour data for Russia

All data for Russia →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rate in Russia?
Unemployment rate in Russia was 2.1% 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 Russia?
The highest recorded value was 13.3% in 1998.
What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Russia?
The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 2025.
How does Russia rank for unemployment rate?
Russia ranks 169th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Russia?
Over the last ten years it is down 62.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Russia 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.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

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.