Brazil — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for Brazil, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for Brazil was 5.97% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 13.70% in 2020. Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.42% per year.
Brazil ranks 79 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 42%. The median for Latin America & Caribbean is 5.99%, so Brazil sits below it. It peaked in 2020 and has fallen 56% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 30%. Within Latin America & Caribbean it ranks 17 of 31 economies; Venezuela, RB (5.31%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 36% in 2016. That is 42% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Climbed: 83rd of 187 in 1991 → 59th of 187 in 2000 → 67th of 187 in 2010 → 35th of 187 in 2020 → 74th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5.97% | -0.8 pp |
| 2024 | 6.8% | -1.1 pp |
| 2023 | 7.95% | -1.3 pp |
| 2022 | 9.23% | -3.9 pp |
| 2021 | 13.16% | -0.5 pp |
| 2020 | 13.7% | +1.8 pp |
| 2019 | 11.94% | -0.4 pp |
| 2018 | 12.33% | -0.5 pp |
| 2017 | 12.79% | +1.2 pp |
| 2016 | 11.58% | +3.0 pp |
| 2015 | 8.54% | +1.8 pp |
| 2014 | 6.76% | -0.3 pp |
| 2013 | 7.07% | -0.2 pp |
| 2012 | 7.25% | -0.3 pp |
| 2011 | 7.58% | -0.8 pp |
| 2010 | 8.42% | -1.0 pp |
| 2009 | 9.42% | +1.2 pp |
| 2008 | 8.27% | -1.0 pp |
| 2007 | 9.28% | -0.4 pp |
| 2006 | 9.69% | -0.9 pp |
| 2005 | 10.55% | +0.5 pp |
| 2004 | 10.07% | -1.1 pp |
| 2003 | 11.17% | +0.5 pp |
| 2002 | 10.64% | -0.0 pp |
| 2001 | 10.65% | -0.2 pp |
| 2000 | 10.89% | -0.2 pp |
| 1999 | 11.13% | +1.0 pp |
| 1998 | 10.15% | +1.1 pp |
| 1997 | 9% | +1.0 pp |
| 1996 | 8.04% | +0.9 pp |
| 1995 | 7.09% | +0.5 pp |
| 1994 | 6.58% | +0.5 pp |
| 1993 | 6.03% | -1.1 pp |
| 1992 | 7.09% | +0.2 pp |
| 1991 | 6.89% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Brazil’s Unemployment in 1992?
7.09% (1992). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of total labor force, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Brazil’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -13.3% in total — about 0.4% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 5.97%; 2024: 6.8%; 2023: 7.95%; 2022: 9.23%; 2021: 13.16%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS — Unemployment Rate. Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.