Hungary — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for Hungary, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for Hungary was 4.52% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 12.10% in 1993. The lowest was 3.41% in 2019 (about 1.3× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -1.84% per year.
Hungary ranks 113 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 60%. The median for Europe & Central Asia is 5.58%, so Hungary sits below it. It peaked in 1993 and has fallen 63% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 34%. Within Europe & Central Asia it ranks 37 of 49 economies; Turkmenistan (4.27%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 28% in 2009. That is 3% above this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 67th of 187 in 1991 → 99th of 187 in 2000 → 46th of 187 in 2010 → 140th of 187 in 2020 → 108th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.52% | +0.0 pp |
| 2024 | 4.5% | +0.4 pp |
| 2023 | 4.1% | +0.5 pp |
| 2022 | 3.58% | -0.4 pp |
| 2021 | 4.02% | -0.2 pp |
| 2020 | 4.25% | +0.8 pp |
| 2019 | 3.41% | -0.3 pp |
| 2018 | 3.67% | -0.5 pp |
| 2017 | 4.16% | -1.0 pp |
| 2016 | 5.12% | -1.7 pp |
| 2015 | 6.81% | -0.9 pp |
| 2014 | 7.73% | -2.5 pp |
| 2013 | 10.18% | -0.8 pp |
| 2012 | 11% | -0.0 pp |
| 2011 | 11.03% | -0.1 pp |
| 2010 | 11.17% | +1.1 pp |
| 2009 | 10.03% | +2.2 pp |
| 2008 | 7.82% | +0.4 pp |
| 2007 | 7.41% | -0.1 pp |
| 2006 | 7.49% | +0.3 pp |
| 2005 | 7.19% | +1.4 pp |
| 2004 | 5.83% | +0.0 pp |
| 2003 | 5.79% | +0.2 pp |
| 2002 | 5.61% | -0.1 pp |
| 2001 | 5.67% | -0.9 pp |
| 2000 | 6.56% | -0.4 pp |
| 1999 | 6.93% | -2.0 pp |
| 1998 | 8.93% | -0.1 pp |
| 1997 | 8.99% | -1.0 pp |
| 1996 | 10.02% | -0.1 pp |
| 1995 | 10.17% | -0.7 pp |
| 1994 | 10.85% | -1.3 pp |
| 1993 | 12.1% | +2.2 pp |
| 1992 | 9.94% | +1.4 pp |
| 1991 | 8.5% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Hungary’s Unemployment in 1992?
9.94% (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 Hungary’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -46.8% in total — about 1.8% 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: 4.52%; 2024: 4.5%; 2023: 4.1%; 2022: 3.58%; 2021: 4.02%. 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.