Japan — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for Japan, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for Japan was 2.45% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 5.39% in 2002. The lowest was 2.06% in 1991 (about 1.2× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.51% per year.
Japan ranks 164 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 88%. The median for East Asia & Pacific is 3.05%, so Japan sits below it. It peaked in 2002 and has fallen 54% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 28%. Within East Asia & Pacific it ranks 20 of 29 economies; Macao SAR, China (2.35%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 27% in 2009. That is 10% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
From its 1991 level: doubled by 1999. Doubling roughly every 135 years at that pace.
World ranking. Slipped: 157th of 187 in 1991 → 124th of 187 in 2000 → 119th of 187 in 2010 → 165th of 187 in 2020 → 159th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.45% | -0.0 pp |
| 2024 | 2.5% | -0.1 pp |
| 2023 | 2.6% | -0.0 pp |
| 2022 | 2.61% | -0.2 pp |
| 2021 | 2.81% | -0.0 pp |
| 2020 | 2.81% | +0.5 pp |
| 2019 | 2.35% | -0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 2.47% | -0.4 pp |
| 2017 | 2.82% | -0.3 pp |
| 2016 | 3.13% | -0.3 pp |
| 2015 | 3.39% | -0.2 pp |
| 2014 | 3.59% | -0.4 pp |
| 2013 | 4.04% | -0.3 pp |
| 2012 | 4.36% | -0.2 pp |
| 2011 | 4.55% | -0.6 pp |
| 2010 | 5.1% | +0.0 pp |
| 2009 | 5.07% | +1.1 pp |
| 2008 | 4% | +0.1 pp |
| 2007 | 3.89% | -0.3 pp |
| 2006 | 4.19% | -0.3 pp |
| 2005 | 4.45% | -0.3 pp |
| 2004 | 4.73% | -0.5 pp |
| 2003 | 5.25% | -0.1 pp |
| 2002 | 5.39% | +0.4 pp |
| 2001 | 5.02% | +0.3 pp |
| 2000 | 4.75% | +0.1 pp |
| 1999 | 4.68% | +0.6 pp |
| 1998 | 4.08% | +0.7 pp |
| 1997 | 3.37% | -0.0 pp |
| 1996 | 3.38% | +0.2 pp |
| 1995 | 3.15% | +0.3 pp |
| 1994 | 2.89% | +0.4 pp |
| 1993 | 2.54% | +0.4 pp |
| 1992 | 2.16% | +0.1 pp |
| 1991 | 2.06% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Japan’s Unemployment in 1992?
2.16% (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 Japan’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +19.0% in total — about 0.5% 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: 2.45%; 2024: 2.5%; 2023: 2.6%; 2022: 2.61%; 2021: 2.81%. 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.