Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)
Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries): Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 4.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries), 1992–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) recorded 4.5% for unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 33 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 10.2% on the previous year and down 40.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 11.8% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 4.5%, in 2024.
That places Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) 25th out of 33 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 6.4% | — |
| 1993 | 7.5% | +16.7% |
| 1994 | 8.4% | +13.4% |
| 1995 | 8.5% | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 8.9% | +4.6% |
| 1997 | 9.9% | +10.8% |
| 1998 | 10.7% | +8.4% |
| 1999 | 11.8% | +10.1% |
| 2000 | 10.1% | -14.5% |
| 2001 | 10.1% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 9.6% | -4.5% |
| 2003 | 9.5% | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 9.3% | -2.9% |
| 2005 | 8.6% | -7.3% |
| 2006 | 8.3% | -3.5% |
| 2007 | 7.7% | -7.4% |
| 2008 | 7.4% | -3.9% |
| 2009 | 9.3% | +26.1% |
| 2010 | 8.6% | -7.2% |
| 2011 | 8.1% | -6.5% |
| 2012 | 7.6% | -6.1% |
| 2013 | 7.6% | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 7.7% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 7.5% | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 7.5% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 7.1% | -5.4% |
| 2018 | 7.0% | -2.1% |
| 2019 | 7.0% | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 7.2% | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 6.9% | -3.3% |
| 2022 | 5.7% | -18.2% |
| 2023 | 5.0% | -11.0% |
| 2024 | 4.5% | -10.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.0% | 6.4% | 11.8% | 8 |
| 2000s | 9.0% | 7.4% | 10.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.6% | 7.0% | 8.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.9% | 4.5% | 7.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)
- 22 Lebanon 11.3% compare
- 23 Cape Verde 11.3% compare
- 24 Northern Mariana Islands 11.2% compare
- 25 Dominica 11.0% compare
- 26 Kosovo 10.8% compare
- 26 Kosovo (UNSCR 1244) 10.8% compare
- 28 Bosnia and Herzegovina 10.7% compare
More work & labour data for Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 48.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 68.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 58.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 29.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 41.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 35.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 69.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 60.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 78.3% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 71.6% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) was 4.5% 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 Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 11.8% in 1999.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.5% in 2024.
- How does Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 25th out of 33 groups with data for 2024.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 40.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) 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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About this data
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.