Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) - Country Ranking

Definition: Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.

Source: International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in December 2019.

See also: Thematic map, Time series comparison

Find indicator:
Rank Country Value Year
1 Equatorial Guinea 28.05 1983
2 South Africa 27.74 2020
3 Botswana 24.22 2020
4 St. Vincent and the Grenadines 22.60 2001
5 Lesotho 22.58 2019
6 Djibouti 22.07 2017
7 Namibia 21.13 2018
8 Eswatini 21.03 2016
9 Georgia 20.21 2020
10 Armenia 19.05 2020
11 Somalia 18.42 2019
12 Jordan 17.95 2020
13 Montenegro 17.48 2020
14 North Macedonia 16.80 2020
15 Zimbabwe 16.04 2019
16 Libya 15.88 2012
17 Rwanda 14.67 2020
18 Gabon 14.42 2010
19 Bosnia and Herzegovina 14.12 2020
20 Costa Rica 14.03 2020
21 Spain 13.87 2020
22 St. Lucia 13.84 2019
23 Puerto Rico 13.80 2015
24 New Caledonia 13.74 2014
25 Greece 13.54 2020
26 Guyana 12.45 2019
27 Sudan 12.37 2011
28 Yemen 12.34 2014
29 Turkey 12.31 2020
30 Tunisia 12.27 2019
31 Colombia 12.23 2020
32 Zambia 12.07 2019
33 Brazil 11.95 2020
34 Dominica 11.92 2001
35 Liberia 11.63 2017
36 Albania 11.58 2019
37 Haiti 11.50 2012
38 São Tomé and Principe 11.05 2006
39 Chile 11.00 2020
40 Algeria 10.77 2017
41 Argentina 10.75 2020
41 Lao PDR 10.75 2017
43 Cabo Verde 10.66 2019
44 Samoa 10.61 2017
45 Grenada 10.57 1998
46 Afghanistan 10.45 2020
47 Nepal 10.31 2017
48 Iraq 10.26 2017
49 The Bahamas 10.10 2018
50 Panama 10.07 2021
51 Nauru 10.03 2013
52 Lebanon 9.97 2019
53 Angola 9.96 2014
54 Ukraine 9.84 2020
55 Mauritania 9.66 2017
56 Barbados 9.53 2019
57 Congo 9.40 2012
58 Lithuania 9.27 2020
59 Nigeria 9.25 2019
60 Latvia 9.13 2020
61 Greenland 8.90 2015
62 The Gambia 8.88 2018
63 Morocco 8.81 2016
64 Honduras 8.79 2020
65 Uruguay 8.71 2020
66 Serbia 8.69 2020
67 Uganda 8.68 2017
68 Kiribati 8.54 2019
69 Iran 8.47 2020
70 Italy 8.40 2020
71 Sweden 8.30 2020
72 France 8.06 2020
73 Antigua and Barbuda 8.04 2001
74 Finland 8.01 2020
75 Tajikistan 7.90 2016
76 Peru 7.81 2020
77 Niger 7.76 2017
78 Canada 7.68 2021
79 Uzbekistan 7.67 2020
80 Cyprus 7.57 2020
81 Mauritius 7.56 2020
82 Croatia 7.45 2020
83 Mongolia 7.28 2020
83 Venezuela 7.28 2020
85 Estonia 6.97 2020
86 Hong Kong SAR, China 6.92 2020
87 Vanuatu 6.74 2019
88 Jamaica 6.70 2021
89 Comoros 6.68 2014
90 Luxembourg 6.60 2020
91 Portugal 6.54 2020
92 Brunei 6.44 2020
93 Bolivia 6.42 2020
94 Slovak Republic 6.38 2020
95 Syrian Arab Republic 6.23 2010
96 Egypt 5.97 2020
97 Azerbaijan 5.96 2020
98 Belize 5.87 2019
99 St. Kitts and Nevis 5.86 2001
100 Paraguay 5.85 2020
101 Belgium 5.73 2020
102 Suriname 5.68 2016
103 Iceland 5.64 2020
103 Russia 5.64 2020
105 Ireland 5.60 2020
106 Austria 5.48 2020
107 United States 5.47 2021
108 Bulgaria 5.43 2020
109 Denmark 5.33 2020
110 Dem. Rep. Congo 5.32 2012
111 Turkmenistan 5.30 2010
112 Romania 5.29 2020
113 Ecuador 5.27 2020
114 Australia 5.21 2021
115 Nicaragua 5.20 2018
116 Seychelles 5.09 2020
116 Kyrgyz Republic 5.09 2020
118 Guinea 4.98 2019
119 Kenya 4.78 2019
119 India 4.78 2020
121 Belarus 4.77 2020
122 Burkina Faso 4.75 2018
123 Togo 4.73 2017
124 El Salvador 4.71 2020
125 Norway 4.68 2020
126 Mexico 4.67 2020
127 Switzerland 4.66 2020
128 Tuvalu 4.64 2016
129 Monaco 4.58 2016
130 Indonesia 4.57 2020
131 Israel 4.52 2020
132 Malaysia 4.45 2020
133 Kazakhstan 4.43 2020
134 Pakistan 4.41 2019
134 Slovenia 4.41 2020
136 Moldova 4.34 2020
137 Sierra Leone 4.27 2018
138 New Zealand 4.26 2020
139 Germany 4.19 2020
139 Malta 4.19 2020
141 Dominican Republic 4.16 2020
142 Sri Lanka 4.10 2020
143 Ghana 4.07 2017
144 Hungary 4.06 2020
145 United Kingdom 3.92 2019
146 Singapore 3.90 2020
147 Korea 3.89 2020
147 Saudi Arabia 3.89 2020
149 United Arab Emirates 3.84 2020
150 Netherlands 3.70 2020
150 Fiji 3.70 2016
150 Papua New Guinea 3.70 2011
153 Guinea-Bissau 3.61 2018
154 Timor-Leste 3.34 2016
155 Bangladesh 3.32 2017
156 Cayman Islands 3.30 2015
157 Trinidad and Tobago 3.24 2016
158 Mozambique 3.15 2015
159 San Marino 3.14 2019
160 Japan 3.10 2021
161 Cameroon 3.06 2014
161 Poland 3.06 2020
163 Macao SAR, China 2.90 2020
164 Côte d'Ivoire 2.86 2017
165 Senegal 2.75 2019
166 Tonga 2.63 2018
167 Philippines 2.40 2020
168 Czech Republic 2.23 2020
169 Burundi 2.05 2014
170 Vietnam 2.01 2020
171 Bhutan 1.84 2015
172 Guatemala 1.82 2019
173 Madagascar 1.77 2015
174 Liechtenstein 1.68 2007
175 Mali 1.67 2018
176 Ethiopia 1.65 2013
177 Cuba 1.60 2018
178 Tanzania 1.57 2014
179 Chad 1.42 2018
180 Oman 1.36 2020
181 Benin 1.24 2018
182 Cambodia 1.23 2019
183 Thailand 1.11 2020
184 Palau 1.06 2014
185 Malawi 0.99 2020
186 Kuwait 0.94 2016
187 Solomon Islands 0.67 2013
188 Bahrain 0.47 2012
189 Myanmar 0.44 2019
190 Qatar 0.07 2020

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Development Relevance: Paradoxically, low unemployment rates can disguise substantial poverty in a country, while high unemployment rates can occur in countries with a high level of economic development and low rates of poverty. In countries without unemployment or welfare benefits people eke out a living in vulnerable employment. In countries with well-developed safety nets workers can afford to wait for suitable or desirable jobs. But high and sustained unemployment indicates serious inefficiencies in resource allocation. Youth unemployment is an important policy issue for many economies. Young men and women today face increasing uncertainty in their hopes of undergoing a satisfactory transition in the labour market, and this uncertainty and disillusionment can, in turn, have damaging effects on individuals, communities, economies and society at large. Unemployed or underemployed youth are less able to contribute effectively to national development and have fewer opportunities to exercise their rights as citizens. They have less to spend as consumers, less to invest as savers and often have no "voice" to bring about change in their lives and communities. Widespread youth unemployment and underemployment also prevents companies and countries from innovating and developing competitive advantages based on human capital investment, thus undermining future prospects. Unemployment is a key measure to monitor whether a country is on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. [SDG Indicator 8.5.2]

Limitations and Exceptions: The criteria for people considered to be seeking work, and the treatment of people temporarily laid off or seeking work for the first time, vary across countries. In many cases it is especially difficult to measure employment and unemployment in agriculture. The timing of a survey can maximize the effects of seasonal unemployment in agriculture. And informal sector employment is difficult to quantify where informal activities are not tracked. There may be also persons not currently in the labour market who want to work but do not actively "seek" work because they view job opportunities as limited, or because they have restricted labour mobility, or face discrimination, or structural, social or cultural barriers. The exclusion of people who want to work but are not seeking work (often called the "hidden unemployed" or "discouraged workers") is a criterion that will affect the unemployment count of both women and men. However, women tend to be excluded from the count for various reasons. Women suffer more from discrimination and from structural, social, and cultural barriers that impede them from seeking work. Also, women are often responsible for the care of children and the elderly and for household affairs. They may not be available for work during the short reference period, as they need to make arrangements before starting work. Further, women are considered to be employed when they are working part-time or in temporary jobs, despite the instability of these jobs or their active search for more secure employment.

Statistical Concept and Methodology: The standard definition of unemployed persons is those individuals without work, seeking work in a recent past period, and currently available for work, including people who have lost their jobs or who have voluntarily left work. Persons who did not look for work but have an arrangements for a future job are also counted as unemployed. Some unemployment is unavoidable. At any time some workers are temporarily unemployed between jobs as employers look for the right workers and workers search for better jobs. It is the labour force or the economically active portion of the population that serves as the base for this indicator, not the total population.

Aggregation method: Weighted average

Periodicity: Annual

General Comments: The series for ILO estimates is also available in the WDI database. Caution should be used when comparing ILO estimates with national estimates.