Unemployment rate in Switzerland
Switzerland: Unemployment rate was 4.87 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
4.87
Change on year
up 12.2%
World rank
104th
of 186 countries
All-time high
5.01
in 2021
All-time low
1.82
in 1991
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in Switzerland, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate in Switzerland stood at 4.87.
That represents a change of up 12.2% on the previous year and up 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Switzerland peaked at 5.01 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.82, in 1991.
Switzerland ranks 104th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Switzerland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1.82 | — |
| 1992 | 2.34 | +28.9% |
| 1993 | 3.55 | +51.5% |
| 1994 | 3.58 | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 3.09 | -13.6% |
| 1996 | 3.68 | +19.1% |
| 1997 | 4.13 | +12.0% |
| 1998 | 3.57 | -13.5% |
| 1999 | 3.05 | -14.4% |
| 2000 | 2.66 | -12.9% |
| 2001 | 2.49 | -6.3% |
| 2002 | 2.92 | +17.4% |
| 2003 | 4.12 | +40.8% |
| 2004 | 4.32 | +4.8% |
| 2005 | 4.44 | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 4 | -10.0% |
| 2007 | 3.64 | -8.9% |
| 2008 | 3.35 | -8.0% |
| 2009 | 4.11 | +22.7% |
| 2010 | 4.81 | +17.0% |
| 2011 | 4.41 | -8.3% |
| 2012 | 4.49 | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 4.75 | +5.7% |
| 2014 | 4.83 | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 4.8 | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 4.92 | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 4.8 | -2.5% |
| 2018 | 4.71 | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 4.39 | -6.8% |
| 2020 | 4.82 | +9.6% |
| 2021 | 5.01 | +4.1% |
| 2022 | 4.12 | -17.8% |
| 2023 | 4.04 | -1.9% |
| 2024 | 4.34 | +7.4% |
| 2025 | 4.87 | +12.2% |
Switzerland compared with similar countries
- Switzerland's 4.87 is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.04, 97% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Switzerland's 4.87 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5.56, 88% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.2 | 1.82 | 4.13 | 9 |
| 2000s | 3.6 | 2.49 | 4.44 | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.69 | 4.39 | 4.92 | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.54 | 4.04 | 5.01 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
More work & labour data for Switzerland
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.0651 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.0485 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.0817 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.4 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.6452 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 8,038 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,842 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 4,568 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 4,558 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 9,126 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in Switzerland?
- Unemployment rate in Switzerland was 4.87 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 5.01 in 2021.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.82 in 1991.
- How does Switzerland rank for unemployment rate?
- Switzerland ranks 104th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Switzerland data come from?
- The figures come from 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).