Unemployment rate in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Unemployment rate was 4.75 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
4.75
Change on year
up 8.8%
World rank
107th
of 186 countries
All-time high
10.35
in 1993
All-time low
3.66
in 2019
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in United Kingdom, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate in United Kingdom stood at 4.75.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.8% on the previous year and down 14.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in United Kingdom peaked at 10.35 in 1993 and was at its lowest, 3.66, in 2019.
United Kingdom ranks 107th 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 United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 8.55 | — |
| 1992 | 9.77 | +14.3% |
| 1993 | 10.35 | +5.9% |
| 1994 | 9.65 | -6.7% |
| 1995 | 8.69 | -9.9% |
| 1996 | 8.19 | -5.8% |
| 1997 | 7.07 | -13.6% |
| 1998 | 6.2 | -12.4% |
| 1999 | 6.04 | -2.5% |
| 2000 | 5.56 | -8.0% |
| 2001 | 4.7 | -15.5% |
| 2002 | 5.04 | +7.3% |
| 2003 | 4.81 | -4.6% |
| 2004 | 4.59 | -4.4% |
| 2005 | 4.88 | +6.3% |
| 2006 | 5.47 | +12.0% |
| 2007 | 5.4 | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 5.75 | +6.5% |
| 2009 | 7.68 | +33.7% |
| 2010 | 7.97 | +3.8% |
| 2011 | 8.2 | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 8.28 | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 7.75 | -6.4% |
| 2014 | 6.4 | -17.5% |
| 2015 | 5.55 | -13.2% |
| 2016 | 4.91 | -11.6% |
| 2017 | 4.5 | -8.3% |
| 2018 | 4.14 | -7.9% |
| 2019 | 3.66 | -11.8% |
| 2020 | 4.47 | +22.3% |
| 2021 | 4.86 | +8.8% |
| 2022 | 3.77 | -22.5% |
| 2023 | 4.03 | +6.8% |
| 2024 | 4.36 | +8.3% |
| 2025 | 4.75 | +8.8% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 4.75 is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.04, 94% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 4.75 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5.56, 85% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.28 | 6.04 | 10.35 | 9 |
| 2000s | 5.39 | 4.59 | 7.68 | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.14 | 3.66 | 8.28 | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.37 | 3.77 | 4.86 | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 104 Switzerland 4.87 compare
- 105 Paraguay 4.8 compare
- 106 Kazakhstan 4.77 compare
- 108 Norway 4.64 compare
- 109 Ireland 4.63 compare
- 110 Uzbekistan 4.62 compare
More work & labour data for United Kingdom
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 22,956 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 60.91 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 35,770 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 4.93 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.07 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 111,361 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 100,223 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 57.91 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.47 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.4352 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in United Kingdom?
- Unemployment rate in United Kingdom was 4.75 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 10.35 in 1993.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.66 in 2019.
- How does United Kingdom rank for unemployment rate?
- United Kingdom ranks 107th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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).