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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

2019 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryUnemployment rate
1 Congo - Brazzaville 20.5%
2 Gabon 20.4%
3 Yemen 17.2%
4 Greece 17.0%
5 Spain 14.1%
6 Türkiye 13.7%
7 Algeria 12.3%
8 Brazil 11.9%
9 Lebanon 11.3%
10 Colombia 10.3%
11 Italy 9.9%
12 Argentina 9.8%
13 France 8.4%
14 Egypt 7.9%
15 Chile 7.5%
16 Finland 6.7%
17 India 6.5%
18 Lithuania 6.3%
19 Honduras 5.7%
20 Canada 5.7%
21 Saudi Arabia 5.6%
22 Congo - Kinshasa 4.6%
23 China 4.6%
24 Russia 4.5%
25 Bangladesh 4.5%
26 Bulgaria 4.1%
27 Romania 3.9%
28 Ecuador 3.8%
29 South Korea 3.7%
30 Norway 3.7%
31 United States 3.7%
32 United Kingdom 3.7%
33 Indonesia 3.6%
34 Mexico 3.5%
35 Netherlands 3.4%
36 Poland 3.3%
37 Sierra Leone 3.2%
38 Germany 3.2%
39 Liberia 3.1%
40 Hong Kong SAR China 2.9%
41 Philippines 2.2%
42 Czechia 2.0%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 2019

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.