Latvia — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for Latvia, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for Latvia was 6.57% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 20.70% in 1996. The lowest was 2.70% in 1991 (about 2.4× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 2.65% per year.
Latvia ranks 68 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 36%. The median for Europe & Central Asia is 5.58%, so Latvia sits above it. It peaked in 1996 and has fallen 68% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 33%. Within Europe & Central Asia it ranks 18 of 49 economies; Italy (6.39%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 153% in 1993. That is 14% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
From its 1991 level: doubled by 1992. Doubling roughly every 27 years at that pace.
World ranking. Climbed: 143rd of 187 in 1991 → 31st of 187 in 2000 → 14th of 187 in 2010 → 68th of 187 in 2020 → 63rd of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6.57% | -0.3 pp |
| 2024 | 6.9% | +0.4 pp |
| 2023 | 6.47% | -0.4 pp |
| 2022 | 6.82% | -0.7 pp |
| 2021 | 7.51% | -0.6 pp |
| 2020 | 8.1% | +1.8 pp |
| 2019 | 6.31% | -1.1 pp |
| 2018 | 7.41% | -1.3 pp |
| 2017 | 8.72% | -0.9 pp |
| 2016 | 9.64% | -0.2 pp |
| 2015 | 9.87% | -1.0 pp |
| 2014 | 10.85% | -1.0 pp |
| 2013 | 11.87% | -3.2 pp |
| 2012 | 15.05% | -1.2 pp |
| 2011 | 16.21% | -3.3 pp |
| 2010 | 19.48% | +2.0 pp |
| 2009 | 17.52% | +9.8 pp |
| 2008 | 7.74% | +1.7 pp |
| 2007 | 6.05% | -1.0 pp |
| 2006 | 7.03% | -3.0 pp |
| 2005 | 10.03% | -1.7 pp |
| 2004 | 11.71% | -0.4 pp |
| 2003 | 12.06% | -1.8 pp |
| 2002 | 13.83% | +0.0 pp |
| 2001 | 13.82% | -0.4 pp |
| 2000 | 14.21% | +0.4 pp |
| 1999 | 13.79% | -0.7 pp |
| 1998 | 14.45% | -0.4 pp |
| 1997 | 14.9% | -5.8 pp |
| 1996 | 20.7% | +1.7 pp |
| 1995 | 19% | +0.3 pp |
| 1994 | 18.7% | +2.0 pp |
| 1993 | 16.7% | +10.1 pp |
| 1992 | 6.6% | +3.9 pp |
| 1991 | 2.7% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Latvia’s Unemployment in 1992?
6.6% (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 Latvia’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +143.3% in total — about 2.6% 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: 6.57%; 2024: 6.9%; 2023: 6.47%; 2022: 6.82%; 2021: 7.51%. 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.