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Economy & jobs Statistics · Country

Unemployment rate in China

1991 – 2025 · 35 data points 22 of 41 · Countries Updated Oct 21, 2026

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1991 – 2025

Unemployment rate, 1991 – 2025 percent · China · World
−0.0 pp since 2015
China World

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1991 – 2025

Compared with Unemployment rate · percent
China
4.6%
World
4.8%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators

The series at a glance China · 1991 – 2025
Latest value 4.6% · 2025
First value 2.4% · 1991
Highest 5.0% · 2020
Lowest 2.4% · 1991
Data points 35

By year

All years · 1991 – 2025

YearChinaChange World
2025 4.6% +0.0 pp 4.8%
2024 4.6% −0.1 pp 4.8%
2023 4.7% −0.3 pp 4.8%
2022 5.0% +0.4 pp 5.2%
2021 4.6% −0.5 pp 6.0%
2020 5.0% +0.4 pp 6.6%
2019 4.6% +0.2 pp 5.6%
2018 4.3% −0.2 pp 5.8%
2017 4.5% −0.1 pp 5.9%
2016 4.6% −0.1 pp 6.0%
2015 4.7% +0.0 pp 6.0%
2014 4.6% +0.0 pp 6.0%
2013 4.6% +0.0 pp 6.1%
2012 4.6% +0.0 pp 6.2%
2011 4.6% +0.0 pp 6.1%
2010 4.5% −0.2 pp 6.3%
2009 4.7% +0.1 pp 6.4%
2008 4.6% +0.2 pp 5.8%
2007 4.4% −0.1 pp 5.8%
2006 4.4% −0.1 pp 6.0%
2005 4.5% +0.0 pp 6.2%
2004 4.5% −0.1 pp 6.3%
2003 4.6% +0.3 pp 6.5%
2002 4.2% +0.4 pp 6.4%
2001 3.8% +0.5 pp 6.2%
2000 3.3% +0.0 pp 6.1%
1999 3.2% +0.0 pp 6.3%
1998 3.2% +0.0 pp 6.2%
1997 3.2% +0.1 pp 6.0%
1996 3.1% +0.1 pp 6.0%
1995 3.0% +0.1 pp 5.9%
1994 2.9% +0.2 pp 5.8%
1993 2.7% +0.3 pp 5.5%
1992 2.4% ±0.0 pp 5.3%
1991 2.4% 5.1%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1991 – 2025

Ranking · Countries

2025 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryUnemployment rate
41 Russia 2.1%
40 Philippines 2.2%
39 Mexico 2.7%
38 South Korea 2.7%
37 Hong Kong SAR China 2.8%
36 Czechia 2.8%
35 Liberia 2.9%
34 Poland 3.0%
33 Saudi Arabia 3.0%
32 Sierra Leone 3.2%
31 Indonesia 3.2%
30 Ecuador 3.3%
29 Bulgaria 3.5%
28 Germany 3.7%
27 Bangladesh 3.8%
26 Netherlands 3.9%
25 United States 4.2%
24 India 4.2%
23 Congo - Kinshasa 4.4%
22 China 4.6%
21 Norway 4.6%
20 United Kingdom 4.7%
19 Honduras 4.9%
18 Brazil 6.0%
17 Romania 6.0%
16 Italy 6.4%
15 Lithuania 6.7%
14 Egypt 6.8%
13 Canada 6.9%
12 Argentina 7.1%
11 France 7.5%
10 Colombia 8.3%
9 Türkiye 8.5%
8 Greece 8.5%
7 Chile 9.0%
6 Finland 9.5%
5 Spain 10.4%
4 Algeria 11.6%
3 Yemen 17.3%
2 Congo - Brazzaville 19.9%
1 Gabon 20.2%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 2025

What it means

The share of people who want a job and are looking for one but do not have one.

How it is calculated

Unemployed people divided by the labour force (employed plus unemployed), following the international definition; annual average.