Unemployment Rates around the World..
Unemployment figures around the world can vary by some large amounts, and not all figures can be relied upon for accuracy.  However, these are some figures that give an indication of unemployment rates around the world.
20 Selected Countries Unemployment Rate Comparisons
| COUNTRY | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |
| Iceland | Not in EU | 2.70% | 4.00% | |||
| Switzerland | Not in EU | 3.40% | 3.20% | |||
| Denmark | In EU | 4.20% | 4.60% | |||
| Germany | In EU | 4.30% | 4.60% | |||
| Malta | In EU | 4.60% | 5.40% | |||
| Norway | Not in EU | 4.80% | 4.40% | |||
| United Kingdom | In or Out of EU | 5.10% | 5.40% | |||
| Austria | In EU | 6.10% | 5.70% | |||
| Netherlands | In EU | 6.20% | 6.90% | |||
| Hungary | In EU | 6.60% | 6.80% | |||
| Luxembourg | In EU | 6.70% | 6.90% | |||
| Sweden | In EU | 6.90% | 7.40% | |||
| Ireland | In EU | 8.00% | 9.50% | |||
| Belgium | In EU | 8.40% | 8.50% | |||
| Finland | In EU | 9.10% | 9.30% | |||
| Poland | In EU | 9.60% | 10.50% | |||
| France | In EU | 9.70% | 10.10% | |||
| Portugal | In EU | 11.30% | 12.40% | |||
| Spain | In EU | 19.70% | 22.10% | |||
| Greece | In EU | 24.60% | 25.00% |
Unemployment Rates Main English Speaking Countries
| COUNTRY | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
| United States | 4.70% | 5.30% | |||
| New Zealand | 5.10% | 5.40% | |||
| United Kingdom | 5.10% | 5.40% | |||
| Australia | 5.80% | 6.10% | |||
| Canada | 7.10% | 6.90% |
Unemployment Rates Selected Countries
| COUNTRY | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
| Australia | 5.80% | 6.10% | |||
| Canada | 7.10% | 6.90% | |||
| European Union | 9.40% | ||||
| France | 9.70% | 10.10% | |||
| India | 8.40% | 8.40% | |||
| Japan | 3.20% | 3.40% | |||
| Korea, South | 4.00% | 3.60% | |||
| New Zealand | 5.10% | 5.40% | |||
| Philippines | 6.60% | 6.30% | |||
| Russia | 8.20% | 5.60% | |||
| Switzerland | 3.40% | 3.20% | |||
| United Kingdom | 5.10% | 5.40% | |||
| United States | 4.70% | 5.30% |
Unemployment Rates Full List
| COUNTRY | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
| Afghanistan | |||||
| Albania | 17.30% | 17.50% | |||
| Algeria | 12.40% | 11.20% | |||
| Andorra | 4.00% | ||||
| Antigua and Barbuda | 11.00% | ||||
| Argentina | 8.00% | 7.60% | |||
| Armenia | 18.10% | ||||
| Australia | 5.80% | 6.10% | |||
| Austria | 6.10% | 5.70% | |||
| Azerbaijan | 6.40% | 5.30% | |||
| Bahamas, The | 15.00% | 15.80% | |||
| Bahrain | 4.10% | 4.30% | |||
| Bangladesh | 4.90% | 4.90% | |||
| Barbados | 11.00% | 11.30% | |||
| Belarus | 0.70% | 0.50% | |||
| Belgium | 8.40% | 8.50% | |||
| Belize | 12.90% | 14.10% | |||
| Bermuda | 9.00% | 7.00% | |||
| Bhutan | 2.60% | 2.90% | |||
| Bolivia | 7.50% | 7.40% | |||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 43.20% | ||||
| Botswana | 20.00% | ||||
| Brazil | 12.60% | 9.00% | |||
| British Virgin Islands | |||||
| Brunei | 6.90% | ||||
| Bulgaria | 8.90% | 10.10% | |||
| Burma | 4.80% | 5.00% | |||
| Cabo Verde | 12.00% | 16.40% | |||
| Cambodia | 0.30% | 0.20% | |||
| Canada | 7.10% | 6.90% | |||
| Cayman Islands | |||||
| Chile | 7.00% | 6.30% | |||
| China | 4.20% | 4.00% | |||
| Colombia | 9.50% | 8.90% | |||
| Comoros | 6.50% | ||||
| Congo, Republic of the | 53.00% | ||||
| Costa Rica | 9.30% | 9.40% | |||
| Croatia | 15.80% | 17.10% | |||
| Cuba | 2.50% | 2.40% | |||
| Curacao | 13.00% | ||||
| Cyprus | 11.80% | 14.90% | |||
| Czechia | 5.60% | 6.50% | |||
| Denmark | 4.20% | 4.60% | |||
| Djibouti | 60.00% | ||||
| Dominican Republic | 13.80% | 14.00% | |||
| Ecuador | 5.50% | 4.30% | |||
| Egypt | 13.10% | 12.80% | |||
| El Salvador | 5.50% | 5.50% | |||
| Equatorial Guinea | |||||
| Eritrea | 8.60% | 10.00% | |||
| Estonia | 6.50% | 6.20% | |||
| Ethiopia | 17.50% | ||||
| European Union | 9.40% | ||||
| Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) | |||||
| Faroe Islands | 2.90% | 3.10% | |||
| Fiji | 8.80% | 8.70% | |||
| Finland | 9.10% | 9.30% | |||
| France | 9.70% | 10.10% | |||
| French Polynesia | 21.80% | ||||
| Gaza Strip | 26.10% | 25.90% | |||
| Georgia | 12.10% | 12.00% | |||
| Germany | 4.30% | 4.60% | |||
| Ghana | 5.20% | ||||
| Greece | 24.60% | 25.00% | |||
| Greenland | 9.40% | ||||
| Grenada | 33.50% | ||||
| Guam | 8.40% | ||||
| Guatemala | 2.90% | 3.00% | |||
| Guyana | 11.10% | 11.30% | |||
| Haiti | |||||
| Honduras | 3.90% | 4.10% | |||
| Hong Kong | 3.60% | 3.30% | |||
| Hungary | 6.60% | 6.80% | |||
| Iceland | 2.70% | 4.00% | |||
| India | 8.40% | 8.40% | |||
| Indonesia | 6.30% | 6.20% | |||
| Iran | 10.70% | 10.50% | |||
| Iraq | 16.00% | ||||
| Ireland | 8.00% | 9.50% | |||
| Isle of Man | |||||
| Israel | 5.00% | 5.30% | |||
| Italy | 11.40% | 11.90% | |||
| Jamaica | 13.80% | 14.00% | |||
| Japan | 3.20% | 3.40% | |||
| Jersey | 1.70% | ||||
| Jordan | 14.80% | 13.10% | |||
| Kazakhstan | 5.70% | 5.00% | |||
| Kenya | 40.00% | ||||
| Kiribati | |||||
| Korea, North | 25.60% | 25.50% | |||
| Korea, South | 4.00% | 3.60% | |||
| Kosovo | 35.30% | 30.90% | |||
| Kuwait | 3.00% | 3.00% | |||
| Kyrgyzstan | 8.10% | 8.00% | |||
| Laos | 1.40% | 1.30% | |||
| Latvia | 9.60% | 9.90% | |||
| Lesotho | 28.10% | ||||
| Liechtenstein | 3.40% | 2.30% | |||
| Lithuania | 8.20% | 9.10% | |||
| Luxembourg | 6.70% | 6.90% | |||
| Macau | 1.90% | 1.80% | |||
| Macedonia | 24.90% | 26.10% | |||
| Madagascar | 3.60% | ||||
| Malaysia | 3.30% | 3.20% | |||
| Maldives | 11.60% | 11.00% | |||
| Mali | 30.00% | 8.10% | |||
| Malta | 4.60% | 5.40% | |||
| Mauritania | 31.00% | ||||
| Mauritius | 7.80% | 8.00% | |||
| Mexico | 4.40% | 4.40% | |||
| Micronesia, Federated States of | |||||
| Moldova | 6.30% | 5.20% | |||
| Monaco | 2.00% | ||||
| Mongolia | 8.30% | 4.80% | |||
| Montenegro | 18.50% | 19.10% | |||
| Morocco | 9.90% | 9.70% | |||
| Namibia | 28.10% | 29.60% | |||
| Nauru | |||||
| Netherlands | 6.20% | 6.90% | |||
| New Zealand | 5.10% | 5.40% | |||
| Nicaragua | 6.00% | 6.10% | |||
| Niger | 5.10% | 5.10% | |||
| Northern Mariana Islands | |||||
| Norway | 4.80% | 4.40% | |||
| Pakistan | 6.70% | 6.40% | |||
| Panama | 4.50% | 4.50% | |||
| Papua New Guinea | |||||
| Paraguay | 6.20% | 5.80% | |||
| Peru | 5.90% | 5.20% | |||
| Philippines | 6.60% | 6.30% | |||
| Poland | 9.60% | 10.50% | |||
| Portugal | 11.30% | 12.40% | |||
| Puerto Rico | 13.70% | 15.00% | |||
| Qatar | 0.70% | 0.40% | |||
| Romania | 6.70% | 6.80% | |||
| Russia | 8.20% | 5.60% | |||
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon | |||||
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | |||||
| San Marino | 8.70% | 8.10% | |||
| Sao Tome and Principe | 13.50% | 13.70% | |||
| Saudi Arabia | 11.20% | 11.40% | |||
| Serbia | 18.90% | 19.30% | |||
| Seychelles | 3.00% | 3.30% | |||
| Sierra Leone | 9.10% | ||||
| Singapore | 2.10% | 1.90% | |||
| Sint Maarten | 12.00% | ||||
| Slovakia | 9.80% | 11.50% | |||
| Slovenia | 11.60% | 12.30% | |||
| South Africa | 26.80% | 25.40% | |||
| Spain | 19.70% | 22.10% | |||
| Sri Lanka | 4.50% | 4.70% | |||
| Sudan | 13.60% | 14.80% | |||
| Suriname | 8.90% | 8.50% | |||
| Sweden | 6.90% | 7.40% | |||
| Switzerland | 3.40% | 3.20% | |||
| Syria | 50.00% | 50.00% | |||
| Taiwan | 3.90% | 3.80% | |||
| Tajikistan | 2.50% | 2.50% | |||
| Thailand | 0.90% | 0.90% | |||
| Timor-Leste | 11.00% | ||||
| Tonga | |||||
| Trinidad and Tobago | 4.00% | 3.50% | |||
| Tunisia | 15.40% | 15.20% | |||
| Turkey | 9.80% | 10.30% | |||
| Turkmenistan | 11.00% | 10.60% | |||
| Uganda | 9.40% | ||||
| Ukraine | 10.00% | 9.10% | |||
| United Kingdom | 5.10% | 5.40% | |||
| United States | 4.70% | 5.30% | |||
| Uruguay | 7.60% | 7.50% | |||
| Uzbekistan | 4.90% | 5.00% | |||
| Venezuela | 10.50% | 6.80% | |||
| Vietnam | 3.70% | 3.50% | |||
| Virgin Islands | 13.00% | ||||
| Wallis and Futuna | |||||
| West Bank | 17.70% | 18.60% | |||
| World | 8.60% | 7.60% | |||
| Yemen | 27.00% | ||||
| Zambia |
The unemployment rate is the number of unemployed divided by the total labour force.
The labour force is the total of people employed plus the unemployed that are seeking work.
The definition of Employed is normally anyone that is working at least 1 hour per week.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) – an agency of the United Nations – sets out guidelines for measuring employment. Under ILO guidelines anyone working for at least an hour a week is employed.
Sources: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/employment.pdf
Employed persons are those aged 15 years and over who have worked for at least one hour in the week of the survey
http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/ewrwp/paidwork/appendixe.htm
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