Unemployment rate in Uruguay
Uruguay: Unemployment rate was 7.52 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
7.52
Change on year
down 8.4%
World rank
59th
of 186 countries
All-time high
16.66
in 2003
All-time low
6.31
in 2011
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in Uruguay, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate in Uruguay stood at 7.52.
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 16.66 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 6.31, 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.
Unemployment rate in Uruguay, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 8.95 | — |
| 1992 | 8.96 | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 8.35 | -6.8% |
| 1994 | 9.04 | +8.3% |
| 1995 | 10.02 | +10.8% |
| 1996 | 11.93 | +19.1% |
| 1997 | 11.44 | -4.1% |
| 1998 | 9.36 | -18.2% |
| 1999 | 10.47 | +11.8% |
| 2000 | 12.63 | +20.6% |
| 2001 | 15.05 | +19.2% |
| 2002 | 16.65 | +10.6% |
| 2003 | 16.66 | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 12.98 | -22.1% |
| 2005 | 12.01 | -7.5% |
| 2006 | 10.84 | -9.7% |
| 2007 | 9.4 | -13.3% |
| 2008 | 8.03 | -14.7% |
| 2009 | 7.74 | -3.6% |
| 2010 | 7.16 | -7.5% |
| 2011 | 6.31 | -11.9% |
| 2012 | 6.45 | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 6.44 | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 6.55 | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 7.49 | +14.4% |
| 2016 | 7.84 | +4.7% |
| 2017 | 7.89 | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 8.34 | +5.7% |
| 2019 | 8.84 | +6.0% |
| 2020 | 10.41 | +17.8% |
| 2021 | 9.33 | -10.4% |
| 2022 | 7.88 | -15.6% |
| 2023 | 8.36 | +6.1% |
| 2024 | 8.21 | -1.7% |
| 2025 | 7.52 | -8.4% |
Uruguay compared with similar countries
- Uruguay's 7.52 is above the median for high income countries, which is 5.04, 1.5× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Uruguay's 7.52 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 5.99, 1.3× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.84 | 8.35 | 11.93 | 9 |
| 2000s | 12.2 | 7.74 | 16.66 | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.33 | 6.31 | 8.84 | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.62 | 7.52 | 10.41 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Uruguay
More work & labour data for Uruguay
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -1.02 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -1 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -1.03 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.72 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.0269 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 3,567 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 95.27 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 1,144 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 1,102 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 2,246 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in Uruguay?
- Unemployment rate in Uruguay was 7.52 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Uruguay?
- The highest recorded value was 16.66 in 2003.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Uruguay?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.31 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 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).