France — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for France, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for France was 7.54% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 12.59% in 1994. The lowest was 7.30% in 2022 (about 1.0× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.56% per year.
France ranks 57 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 30%. The median for Europe & Central Asia is 5.58%, so France sits above it. It peaked in 1994 and has fallen 40% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 27%. Within Europe & Central Asia it ranks 14 of 49 economies; Serbia (7.12%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 24% in 2009. That is 11% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Climbed: 60th of 187 in 1991 → 68th of 187 in 2000 → 60th of 187 in 2010 → 70th of 187 in 2020 → 53rd of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7.54% | +0.1 pp |
| 2024 | 7.4% | +0.1 pp |
| 2023 | 7.34% | +0.0 pp |
| 2022 | 7.3% | -0.6 pp |
| 2021 | 7.87% | -0.1 pp |
| 2020 | 8.01% | -0.4 pp |
| 2019 | 8.41% | -0.6 pp |
| 2018 | 9.02% | -0.4 pp |
| 2017 | 9.41% | -0.6 pp |
| 2016 | 10.06% | -0.3 pp |
| 2015 | 10.35% | +0.1 pp |
| 2014 | 10.27% | +0.4 pp |
| 2013 | 9.91% | +0.1 pp |
| 2012 | 9.84% | +0.6 pp |
| 2011 | 9.23% | -0.1 pp |
| 2010 | 9.28% | +0.2 pp |
| 2009 | 9.12% | +1.7 pp |
| 2008 | 7.39% | -0.6 pp |
| 2007 | 8.01% | -0.8 pp |
| 2006 | 8.83% | -0.0 pp |
| 2005 | 8.88% | -0.0 pp |
| 2004 | 8.91% | +0.6 pp |
| 2003 | 8.31% | -0.4 pp |
| 2002 | 8.7% | +0.1 pp |
| 2001 | 8.61% | -1.6 pp |
| 2000 | 10.22% | -1.8 pp |
| 1999 | 11.98% | -0.1 pp |
| 1998 | 12.07% | -0.5 pp |
| 1997 | 12.57% | +0.2 pp |
| 1996 | 12.37% | +0.5 pp |
| 1995 | 11.83% | -0.8 pp |
| 1994 | 12.59% | +1.3 pp |
| 1993 | 11.32% | +1.1 pp |
| 1992 | 10.2% | +1.1 pp |
| 1991 | 9.13% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was France’s Unemployment in 1992?
10.2% (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 France’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -17.4% in total — about 0.6% 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: 7.54%; 2024: 7.4%; 2023: 7.34%; 2022: 7.3%; 2021: 7.87%. 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.