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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

2017 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryUnemployment rate
1 Greece 21.4%
2 Congo - Brazzaville 20.7%
3 Gabon 20.3%
4 Yemen 18.6%
5 Spain 17.2%
6 Brazil 12.8%
7 Algeria 12.0%
8 Egypt 11.8%
9 Italy 11.2%
10 Türkiye 10.9%
11 Lebanon 10.3%
12 France 9.4%
13 Colombia 9.1%
14 Finland 8.6%
15 Argentina 8.3%
16 India 7.6%
17 Chile 7.3%
18 Lithuania 7.1%
19 Canada 6.4%
20 Bulgaria 6.2%
21 Saudi Arabia 5.9%
22 Honduras 5.5%
23 Russia 5.2%
24 Romania 4.9%
25 Poland 4.9%
26 Netherlands 4.8%
27 Congo - Kinshasa 4.6%
28 United Kingdom 4.5%
29 China 4.5%
30 Bangladesh 4.4%
31 United States 4.4%
32 Norway 4.2%
33 Ecuador 3.8%
34 Indonesia 3.8%
35 Germany 3.8%
36 Sierra Leone 3.7%
37 South Korea 3.7%
38 Mexico 3.4%
39 Hong Kong SAR China 3.1%
40 Liberia 3.1%
41 Czechia 2.9%
42 Philippines 2.6%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 2017

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.