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Unemployment rate

The UK ranks 13th of 28 on Unemployment rate (2025)

The UK ranks 13th of 28 on Unemployment rate in 2025: 4.90, unit % of labour force, against an EU27 median of 5.70. Source: International Monetary Fund, DataMapper (World Economic Outlook), LUR, snapshot of 6 November 2026.

Share of the labour force without work and actively seeking it.

Caveat. Definitions follow the ILO standard, but national surveys and timing differ. Trends after 2020 include Covid-19 support schemes.

The UK

Unemployment rate

4.90% of labour force(2025)

13th of 28Moved down 8 places from 2016 to 2025.
EU27 median
5.70 % of labour force
UK minus EU27 median
−0.80 % of labour force

League table

Values in % of labour force. Countries ranked by value, 1 = top of the table, 28 with a value.

Unemployment rate, 2025: league table of countries
1Czechia2.802025
2Denmark2.902025
3Malta3.002025
4Poland3.102025
5Bulgaria3.602025
6Germany3.802025
7Netherlands3.902025
7Slovenia3.902025
9Cyprus4.402025
9Hungary4.402025
11Croatia4.502025
12Ireland4.702025
13United KingdomUK4.902025
14Slovakia5.402025
15Austria5.702025
16Luxembourg6.002025
16Portugal6.002025
18Italy6.102025
18Romania6.102025
20Belgium6.202025
21Lithuania6.902025
21Latvia6.902025
23Estonia7.402025
24France7.702025
25Greece8.902025
25Sweden8.902025
27Finland9.702025
28Spain10.502025

Trend, 2000 to 2025

Unemployment rate, 2000 to 2025Line chart, 2000 to 2025: the UK (heavy ink line), Germany, France, Italy and Spain (solid lines), and reference countries (faint lines). Dotted segments are IMF projections and are not ranked. Shaded bands and markers show events.% of labour force10202000200520102015202020252030123Spain11France8Canada7Italy6Australia4United Kingdom5Norway5United States4Germany4Switzerland3Japan3Unemployment rate, 2000 to 2025Line chart, 2000 to 2025: the UK (heavy ink line), Germany, France, Italy and Spain (solid lines), and reference countries (faint lines). Dotted segments are IMF projections and are not ranked. Shaded bands and markers show events.% of labour force10202000201020202030123SpainFranceCanadaItalyAustraliaUnited KingdomNorwayUnited StatesGermanySwitzerlandJapan
  • Heavy ink line: United Kingdom
  • France
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Thin grey lines, reference countries (not the big four): Australia, Canada, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, United States
  • Dotted: IMF projections, not ranked
  • Shaded: 2008–09 financial crisis
  • Shaded: 2020–21 Covid-19 pandemic
  • Shaded: 2022–23 energy price shock
  • Marker 1: EU referendum (23 June 2016)
  • Marker 2: UK leaves the EU (31 January 2020)
  • Marker 3: Transition period ends; Trade and Cooperation Agreement in force (1 January 2021)
Trends show what happened, not why; Covid, energy prices and policy changes overlap the same years. Dotted lines are projections and are not ranked.

UK rank over time

Rank 1 is the top of the table; the line is drawn with rank 1 at the top. Each year is ranked on that year's values.

UK rank, 2000 to 2025: 8th to 13th3rd6th9th13th200020052010201520202025June 201613thUK rank, 2000 to 2025: 8th to 13th3rd6th9th13th200020102020June 201613th

2000: 8th · 2025: 13th

Sources and method

Share of the labour force without work and actively seeking it.

Source: International Monetary Fund, DataMapper (World Economic Outlook) · series LUR· vintage World Economic Outlook (October 2026), dataset last modified 2026-10-08 · fetched 2026-11-06

Source: International Monetary Fund, DataMapper (World Economic Outlook (October 2026), dataset last modified 2026-10-08); accessed 2026-11-06. Figures adapted by UK EU Ranked.

Licence: IMF Data terms: download, adapt and redistribute with credit to the IMF and a link; state material transformations; bulk automated downloading and commercial reuse need IMF permission ([email protected]). No SPDX licence name.