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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

2016 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryUnemployment rate
10 Algeria 10.2%
15 Argentina 8.1%
33 Bangladesh 4.4%
8 Brazil 11.6%
18 Bulgaria 7.6%
19 Canada 7.0%
20 Chile 6.9%
31 China 4.6%
13 Colombia 8.9%
2 Congo - Brazzaville 20.3%
32 Congo - Kinshasa 4.5%
37 Czechia 4.0%
30 Ecuador 4.6%
6 Egypt 12.4%
14 Finland 8.8%
11 France 10.1%
3 Gabon 20.1%
36 Germany 4.1%
1 Greece 23.5%
21 Honduras 6.7%
40 Hong Kong SAR China 3.4%
17 India 7.6%
34 Indonesia 4.3%
7 Italy 11.7%
12 Lebanon 9.8%
41 Liberia 3.1%
16 Lithuania 7.9%
38 Mexico 3.9%
23 Netherlands 6.0%
29 Norway 4.7%
42 Philippines 2.7%
22 Poland 6.1%
24 Romania 5.9%
26 Russia 5.6%
25 Saudi Arabia 5.6%
35 Sierra Leone 4.2%
39 South Korea 3.6%
4 Spain 19.6%
9 Türkiye 10.9%
27 United Kingdom 4.9%
28 United States 4.9%
5 Yemen 18.4%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 2016

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.