Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Upper middle income

Upper middle income: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 5.4% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
5.4%
Change on year
down 15.7%
Rank
11th
of 33 groups
All-time high
6.7%
in 2020
All-time low
2.4%
in 1991
Years of data
33
1990–2022

Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Upper middle income, 1990–2022

02461990200620221990: 3.21991: 2.41992: 2.61993: 2.71994: 2.61995: 3.91996: 3.31997: 41998: 4.41999: 4.82000: 5.62001: 4.42002: 4.92003: 4.42004: 4.32005: 4.72006: 4.32007: 4.22008: 4.22009: 4.52010: 4.42011: 4.42012: 4.42013: 4.42014: 4.52015: 4.72016: 5.32017: 5.42018: 5.92019: 62020: 6.72021: 6.42022: 5.4

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

Analysis

In 2022, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Upper middle income stood at 5.4%.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 15.7% on the previous year and up 22.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Upper middle income peaked at 6.7% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2.4%, in 1991.

Upper middle income ranks 11th of 33 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.

Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Upper middle income, year by year

Annual values for Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate) in Upper middle income, 1990 to 2022.
Year Value Change
1990 3.2%
1991 2.4% -27.3%
1992 2.6% +9.9%
1993 2.7% +3.8%
1994 2.6% -2.9%
1995 3.9% +47.4%
1996 3.3% -14.0%
1997 4.0% +21.2%
1998 4.4% +10.4%
1999 4.8% +7.2%
2000 5.6% +17.9%
2001 4.4% -21.4%
2002 4.9% +10.7%
2003 4.4% -9.8%
2004 4.3% -3.4%
2005 4.7% +9.4%
2006 4.3% -7.6%
2007 4.2% -2.6%
2008 4.2% +0.5%
2009 4.5% +7.5%
2010 4.4% -1.9%
2011 4.4% -0.4%
2012 4.4% -1.3%
2013 4.4% -0.1%
2014 4.5% +2.0%
2015 4.7% +5.8%
2016 5.3% +12.7%
2017 5.4% +1.2%
2018 5.9% +8.9%
2019 6.0% +2.3%
2020 6.7% +11.1%
2021 6.4% -4.3%
2022 5.4% -15.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 3.4% 2.4% 4.8% 10
2000s 4.5% 4.2% 5.6% 10
2010s 4.9% 4.4% 6.0% 10
2020s 6.1% 5.4% 6.7% 3

Countries ranked near Upper middle income

  1. 8 Lesotho 18.7% compare
  2. 9 Jordan 16.8% compare
  3. 10 Iraq 16.2% compare
  4. 11 Malawi 15.4% compare
  5. 12 Tunisia 15.1% compare
  6. 13 Syrian Arab Republic 14.9% compare
  7. 14 Guyana 14.7% compare

See the full ranking of 220 places →

More work & labour data for Upper middle income

All data for Upper middle income →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Upper middle income?
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Upper middle income was 5.4% in 2022, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Upper middle income?
The highest recorded value was 6.7% in 2020.
What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Upper middle income?
The lowest recorded value was 2.4% in 1991.
How does Upper middle income rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
Upper middle income ranks 11th out of 33 groups with data for 2022.
Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Upper middle income?
Over the last ten years it is up 22.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Upper middle income 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 Upper middle income. Statizoid, drawing on Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/unemployment-total-percent-of-total-labor-force-national-estimate/upper-middle-income/

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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.