Congo, Dem. Rep. — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for Congo, Dem. Rep., 1991–2025.
Unemployment for Congo, Dem. Rep. was 4.43% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 5.36% in 2020. The lowest was 2.95% in 2005 (about 1.5× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.90% per year.
Congo, Dem. Rep. ranks 115 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 61%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 5.45%, so Congo, Dem. Rep. sits below it. It peaked in 2020 and has fallen 17% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 0%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 27 of 47 economies; Comoros (3.82%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 16% in 2020. That is 5% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
Doubling roughly every 78 years at that pace.
World ranking. Climbed: 128th of 187 in 1991 → 153rd of 187 in 2000 → 139th of 187 in 2010 → 116th of 187 in 2020 → 110th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.43% | +0.0 pp |
| 2024 | 4.42% | -0.0 pp |
| 2023 | 4.47% | -0.1 pp |
| 2022 | 4.54% | -0.7 pp |
| 2021 | 5.29% | -0.1 pp |
| 2020 | 5.36% | +0.8 pp |
| 2019 | 4.61% | -0.0 pp |
| 2018 | 4.63% | +0.0 pp |
| 2017 | 4.61% | +0.1 pp |
| 2016 | 4.53% | +0.1 pp |
| 2015 | 4.44% | +0.0 pp |
| 2014 | 4.44% | -0.0 pp |
| 2013 | 4.47% | -0.0 pp |
| 2012 | 4.49% | +0.2 pp |
| 2011 | 4.32% | +0.2 pp |
| 2010 | 4.1% | +0.2 pp |
| 2009 | 3.88% | +0.3 pp |
| 2008 | 3.63% | +0.2 pp |
| 2007 | 3.4% | +0.2 pp |
| 2006 | 3.17% | +0.2 pp |
| 2005 | 2.95% | -0.0 pp |
| 2004 | 2.98% | -0.1 pp |
| 2003 | 3.06% | -0.1 pp |
| 2002 | 3.18% | -0.1 pp |
| 2001 | 3.25% | +0.0 pp |
| 2000 | 3.25% | +0.0 pp |
| 1999 | 3.23% | +0.0 pp |
| 1998 | 3.2% | +0.0 pp |
| 1997 | 3.17% | +0.0 pp |
| 1996 | 3.16% | -0.1 pp |
| 1995 | 3.29% | -0.1 pp |
| 1994 | 3.4% | -0.0 pp |
| 1993 | 3.45% | +0.1 pp |
| 1992 | 3.37% | +0.1 pp |
| 1991 | 3.27% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Congo, Dem. Rep.’s Unemployment in 1992?
3.37% (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 Congo, Dem. Rep.’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +35.5% in total — about 0.9% 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: 4.43%; 2024: 4.42%; 2023: 4.47%; 2022: 4.54%; 2021: 5.29%. 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.