Unemployment rate in Uruguay
Uruguay: Unemployment rate was 7.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment rate in Uruguay, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate in Uruguay stood at 7.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 8.4% on the previous year and up 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Uruguay peaked at 16.7% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 6.3%, in 2011.
Uruguay ranks 59th 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.8% | 8.3% | 11.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 12.2% | 7.7% | 16.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.3% | 6.3% | 8.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.6% | 7.5% | 10.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Uruguay
More work & labour data for Uruguay
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Criminal sanctions or compensation for workplace sexual harassment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 65.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 73.4% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 78.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 57.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-6 77.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 83.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 72.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in Uruguay?
- Unemployment rate in Uruguay was 7.5% 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 Uruguay?
- The highest recorded value was 16.7% in 2003.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Uruguay?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.3% in 2011.
- How does Uruguay rank for unemployment rate?
- Uruguay ranks 59th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Uruguay?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Uruguay 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
Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon.