Mozambique — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for Mozambique, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for Mozambique was 6.63% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 6.79% in 2022. The lowest was 2.64% in 1998 (about 2.5× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 2.53% per year.
Mozambique ranks 67 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 36%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 5.45%, so Mozambique sits above it. It peaked in 2022 and has fallen 2% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 93%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 18 of 47 economies; Gambia, The (6.52%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 25% in 2022. That is 28% above this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
From its 1991 level: doubled by 2022. Doubling roughly every 28 years at that pace.
World ranking. Climbed: 138th of 187 in 1991 → 159th of 187 in 2000 → 158th of 187 in 2010 → 123rd of 187 in 2020 → 62nd of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6.63% | -0.0 pp |
| 2024 | 6.67% | +0.0 pp |
| 2023 | 6.66% | -0.1 pp |
| 2022 | 6.79% | +1.4 pp |
| 2021 | 5.41% | +0.4 pp |
| 2020 | 5.02% | +0.6 pp |
| 2019 | 4.46% | +0.3 pp |
| 2018 | 4.21% | +0.3 pp |
| 2017 | 3.94% | +0.3 pp |
| 2016 | 3.65% | +0.2 pp |
| 2015 | 3.43% | +0.0 pp |
| 2014 | 3.38% | +0.0 pp |
| 2013 | 3.35% | +0.0 pp |
| 2012 | 3.3% | +0.0 pp |
| 2011 | 3.3% | +0.0 pp |
| 2010 | 3.26% | +0.1 pp |
| 2009 | 3.21% | +0.1 pp |
| 2008 | 3.11% | +0.0 pp |
| 2007 | 3.08% | +0.0 pp |
| 2006 | 3.04% | +0.0 pp |
| 2005 | 3.04% | +0.1 pp |
| 2004 | 2.95% | +0.1 pp |
| 2003 | 2.86% | -0.0 pp |
| 2002 | 2.9% | +0.1 pp |
| 2001 | 2.84% | +0.0 pp |
| 2000 | 2.83% | +0.2 pp |
| 1999 | 2.66% | +0.0 pp |
| 1998 | 2.64% | -0.1 pp |
| 1997 | 2.7% | -0.1 pp |
| 1996 | 2.76% | +0.0 pp |
| 1995 | 2.76% | -0.1 pp |
| 1994 | 2.88% | -0.0 pp |
| 1993 | 2.9% | -0.1 pp |
| 1992 | 3.03% | +0.2 pp |
| 1991 | 2.84% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Mozambique’s Unemployment in 1992?
3.03% (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 Mozambique’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +133.5% in total — about 2.5% 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: 6.63%; 2024: 6.67%; 2023: 6.66%; 2022: 6.79%; 2021: 5.41%. 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.