Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 10.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
10.7%
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
28th
of 187 countries
All-time high
31.1%
in 2006
All-time low
10.7%
in 2023
Years of data
21
1991–2024

Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1991–2024

10152025301991200720241991: 17.62001: 16.12006: 31.12007: 292008: 23.42009: 24.12010: 27.32011: 27.62012: 282013: 27.52014: 27.52015: 27.72016: 25.42017: 20.52018: 18.42019: 15.72020: 15.92021: 14.92022: 12.72023: 10.72024: 10.7

Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).

Analysis

In 2024, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Bosnia and Herzegovina stood at 10.7%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and down 61.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Bosnia and Herzegovina peaked at 31.1% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 10.7%, in 2023.

That places Bosnia and Herzegovina 28th out of 187 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.

Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, year by year

Annual values for Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1991 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1991 17.6%
2001 16.1% -8.3%
2006 31.1% +93.2%
2007 29.0% -6.8%
2008 23.4% -19.2%
2009 24.1% +2.8%
2010 27.3% +13.5%
2011 27.6% +1.0%
2012 28.0% +1.6%
2013 27.5% -1.9%
2014 27.5% +0.1%
2015 27.7% +0.6%
2016 25.4% -8.3%
2017 20.5% -19.2%
2018 18.4% -10.4%
2019 15.7% -14.7%
2020 15.9% +1.1%
2021 14.9% -6.1%
2022 12.7% -15.0%
2023 10.7% -15.7%
2024 10.7% +0.4%

Bosnia and Herzegovina compared with similar countries

  • Bosnia and Herzegovina's 10.7% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.8%, 1.8× the median. (53 countries reporting)
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina's 10.7% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5.7%, 1.9× the median. (53 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Bosnia and Herzegovina changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2006 +93.2% 16.1% 31.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 17.6% 17.6% 17.6% 1
2000s 24.7% 16.1% 31.1% 5
2010s 24.6% 15.7% 28.0% 10
2020s 13.0% 10.7% 15.9% 5

Countries ranked near Bosnia and Herzegovina

  1. 25 Dominica 11.0% compare
  2. 26 Kosovo 10.8% compare
  3. 26 Kosovo (UNSCR 1244) 10.8% compare
  4. 29 Nepal 10.7% compare
  5. 30 Spain 10.5% compare
  6. 31 Mauritania 10.4% compare

See the full ranking of 220 places →

More work & labour data for Bosnia and Herzegovina

All data for Bosnia and Herzegovina →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Bosnia and Herzegovina was 10.7% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The highest recorded value was 31.1% in 2006.
What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The lowest recorded value was 10.7% in 2023.
How does Bosnia and Herzegovina rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
Bosnia and Herzegovina ranks 28th out of 187 countries with data for 2024.
Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Over the last ten years it is down 61.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Bosnia and Herzegovina data come from?
The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Statizoid, drawing on Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/unemployment-total-percent-of-total-labor-force-national-estimate/bosnia-and-herzegovina/

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About this data

Indicator
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate)
Source
Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
220 places, 6,054 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.