Macao SAR, China — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for Macao SAR, China, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for Macao SAR, China was 2.35% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 6.87% in 2000. The lowest was 1.67% in 2014 (about 1.4× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.73% per year.
Macao SAR, China ranks 165 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 88%. The median for East Asia & Pacific is 3.05%, so Macao SAR, China sits below it. It peaked in 2000 and has fallen 66% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 30%. Within East Asia & Pacific it ranks 21 of 29 economies; Philippines (2.23%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 47% in 2020. That is 11% above this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
From its 1991 level: doubled by 1999.
World ranking. Slipped: 132nd of 187 in 1991 → 95th of 187 in 2000 → 162nd of 187 in 2010 → 170th of 187 in 2020 → 160th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.35% | +0.1 pp |
| 2024 | 2.26% | +0.1 pp |
| 2023 | 2.21% | -0.2 pp |
| 2022 | 2.45% | +0.2 pp |
| 2021 | 2.22% | -0.3 pp |
| 2020 | 2.54% | +0.8 pp |
| 2019 | 1.73% | -0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 1.8% | -0.2 pp |
| 2017 | 1.98% | +0.0 pp |
| 2016 | 1.94% | +0.1 pp |
| 2015 | 1.81% | +0.1 pp |
| 2014 | 1.67% | -0.2 pp |
| 2013 | 1.82% | -0.1 pp |
| 2012 | 1.97% | -0.6 pp |
| 2011 | 2.56% | -0.3 pp |
| 2010 | 2.84% | -0.7 pp |
| 2009 | 3.58% | +0.6 pp |
| 2008 | 3% | -0.3 pp |
| 2007 | 3.27% | -0.6 pp |
| 2006 | 3.82% | -0.3 pp |
| 2005 | 4.16% | -0.7 pp |
| 2004 | 4.9% | -1.1 pp |
| 2003 | 6% | -0.3 pp |
| 2002 | 6.28% | -0.1 pp |
| 2001 | 6.37% | -0.5 pp |
| 2000 | 6.87% | +0.5 pp |
| 1999 | 6.34% | +1.7 pp |
| 1998 | 4.61% | +1.4 pp |
| 1997 | 3.23% | -1.0 pp |
| 1996 | 4.26% | +0.7 pp |
| 1995 | 3.58% | +1.1 pp |
| 1994 | 2.48% | +0.4 pp |
| 1993 | 2.06% | -0.1 pp |
| 1992 | 2.2% | -0.8 pp |
| 1991 | 3.01% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Macao SAR, China’s Unemployment in 1992?
2.2% (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 Macao SAR, China’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -22.0% in total — about 0.7% 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: 2.35%; 2024: 2.26%; 2023: 2.21%; 2022: 2.45%; 2021: 2.22%. 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.