Ethiopia — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for Ethiopia, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for Ethiopia was 3.32% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 4.00% in 2020. The lowest was 2.25% in 2013 (about 1.5× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.03% per year.
Ethiopia ranks 135 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 72%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 5.45%, so Ethiopia sits below it. It peaked in 2020 and has fallen 17% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 36%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 31 of 47 economies; Sierra Leone (3.15%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 37% in 2020. That is 5% above this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 127th of 187 in 1991 → 148th of 187 in 2000 → 169th of 187 in 2010 → 147th of 187 in 2020 → 130th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3.32% | -0.0 pp |
| 2024 | 3.36% | -0.0 pp |
| 2023 | 3.38% | -0.0 pp |
| 2022 | 3.39% | -0.5 pp |
| 2021 | 3.94% | -0.1 pp |
| 2020 | 4% | +1.1 pp |
| 2019 | 2.93% | +0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 2.81% | +0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 2.67% | +0.1 pp |
| 2016 | 2.56% | +0.1 pp |
| 2015 | 2.44% | +0.1 pp |
| 2014 | 2.36% | +0.1 pp |
| 2013 | 2.25% | -0.0 pp |
| 2012 | 2.25% | -0.0 pp |
| 2011 | 2.27% | -0.0 pp |
| 2010 | 2.3% | -0.0 pp |
| 2009 | 2.33% | +0.0 pp |
| 2008 | 2.33% | -0.0 pp |
| 2007 | 2.34% | +0.0 pp |
| 2006 | 2.34% | -0.2 pp |
| 2005 | 2.5% | -0.3 pp |
| 2004 | 2.78% | -0.2 pp |
| 2003 | 3.01% | -0.0 pp |
| 2002 | 3.05% | -0.1 pp |
| 2001 | 3.16% | -0.3 pp |
| 2000 | 3.5% | -0.2 pp |
| 1999 | 3.71% | +0.2 pp |
| 1998 | 3.48% | +0.3 pp |
| 1997 | 3.23% | +0.1 pp |
| 1996 | 3.12% | +0.1 pp |
| 1995 | 3.01% | -0.1 pp |
| 1994 | 3.1% | -0.2 pp |
| 1993 | 3.25% | -0.2 pp |
| 1992 | 3.42% | +0.1 pp |
| 1991 | 3.28% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Ethiopia’s Unemployment in 1992?
3.42% (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 Ethiopia’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +1.2% in total.
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: 3.32%; 2024: 3.36%; 2023: 3.38%; 2022: 3.39%; 2021: 3.94%. 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.