Mexico — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for Mexico, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for Mexico was 2.67% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 7.09% in 1995. The lowest was 2.60% in 1999 (about 1.0× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.48% per year.
Mexico ranks 160 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 86%. The median for Latin America & Caribbean is 5.99%, so Mexico sits below it. It peaked in 1995 and has fallen 62% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 38%. Within Latin America & Caribbean it ranks 29 of 31 economies; Guatemala (2.60%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 60% in 1995. That is 23% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
From its 1991 level: doubled by 1995.
World ranking. Slipped: 131st of 187 in 1991 → 163rd of 187 in 2000 → 116th of 187 in 2010 → 136th of 187 in 2020 → 155th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.67% | -0.0 pp |
| 2024 | 2.68% | -0.1 pp |
| 2023 | 2.77% | -0.5 pp |
| 2022 | 3.26% | -0.8 pp |
| 2021 | 4.02% | -0.4 pp |
| 2020 | 4.44% | +1.0 pp |
| 2019 | 3.48% | +0.2 pp |
| 2018 | 3.28% | -0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 3.42% | -0.4 pp |
| 2016 | 3.85% | -0.5 pp |
| 2015 | 4.31% | -0.5 pp |
| 2014 | 4.82% | -0.1 pp |
| 2013 | 4.92% | +0.0 pp |
| 2012 | 4.89% | -0.3 pp |
| 2011 | 5.18% | -0.1 pp |
| 2010 | 5.3% | -0.1 pp |
| 2009 | 5.36% | +1.5 pp |
| 2008 | 3.87% | +0.2 pp |
| 2007 | 3.63% | +0.1 pp |
| 2006 | 3.57% | +0.0 pp |
| 2005 | 3.56% | -0.4 pp |
| 2004 | 3.94% | +0.5 pp |
| 2003 | 3.46% | +0.5 pp |
| 2002 | 3% | +0.4 pp |
| 2001 | 2.63% | -0.0 pp |
| 2000 | 2.65% | +0.0 pp |
| 1999 | 2.6% | -1.1 pp |
| 1998 | 3.73% | -0.5 pp |
| 1997 | 4.24% | -1.2 pp |
| 1996 | 5.47% | -1.6 pp |
| 1995 | 7.1% | +2.7 pp |
| 1994 | 4.44% | +1.1 pp |
| 1993 | 3.37% | +0.1 pp |
| 1992 | 3.24% | +0.1 pp |
| 1991 | 3.15% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Mexico’s Unemployment in 1992?
3.24% (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 Mexico’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -15.0% 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: 2.67%; 2024: 2.68%; 2023: 2.77%; 2022: 3.26%; 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.