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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

2014 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryUnemployment rate
42 Liberia 2.1%
41 South Korea 3.1%
40 Hong Kong SAR China 3.3%
39 Ecuador 3.5%
38 Norway 3.5%
37 Philippines 3.6%
36 Indonesia 4.0%
35 Bangladesh 4.4%
34 Congo - Kinshasa 4.4%
33 China 4.6%
32 Sierra Leone 4.7%
31 Mexico 4.8%
30 Germany 5.0%
29 Russia 5.2%
28 Saudi Arabia 5.9%
27 Czechia 6.1%
26 United States 6.2%
25 United Kingdom 6.4%
24 Brazil 6.8%
23 Chile 6.8%
22 Romania 6.8%
21 Canada 7.0%
20 Honduras 7.1%
19 Argentina 7.3%
18 Netherlands 7.4%
17 India 7.7%
16 Finland 8.7%
15 Colombia 8.8%
14 Lebanon 8.8%
13 Poland 9.0%
12 Türkiye 9.9%
11 Algeria 10.2%
10 France 10.3%
9 Lithuania 10.7%
8 Bulgaria 11.4%
7 Italy 12.7%
6 Egypt 13.1%
5 Yemen 13.5%
4 Congo - Brazzaville 19.7%
3 Gabon 19.9%
2 Spain 24.4%
1 Greece 26.7%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 2014

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.