Romania — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for Romania, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for Romania was 5.99% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 8.26% in 1992. The lowest was 3.91% in 2019 (about 1.5× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.93% per year.
Romania ranks 76 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 41%. The median for Europe & Central Asia is 5.58%, so Romania sits above it. It peaked in 1992 and has fallen 27% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 12%. Within Europe & Central Asia it ranks 23 of 49 economies; Belgium (5.91%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 29% in 2020. That is 12% above this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 70th of 187 in 1991 → 92nd of 187 in 2000 → 96th of 187 in 2010 → 121st of 187 in 2020 → 71st of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5.99% | +0.6 pp |
| 2024 | 5.4% | -0.2 pp |
| 2023 | 5.59% | -0.0 pp |
| 2022 | 5.61% | +0.0 pp |
| 2021 | 5.59% | +0.6 pp |
| 2020 | 5.04% | +1.1 pp |
| 2019 | 3.91% | -0.3 pp |
| 2018 | 4.19% | -0.7 pp |
| 2017 | 4.93% | -1.0 pp |
| 2016 | 5.9% | -0.9 pp |
| 2015 | 6.81% | +0.0 pp |
| 2014 | 6.8% | -0.3 pp |
| 2013 | 7.1% | +0.3 pp |
| 2012 | 6.79% | -0.4 pp |
| 2011 | 7.18% | +0.2 pp |
| 2010 | 6.96% | +0.1 pp |
| 2009 | 6.86% | +1.1 pp |
| 2008 | 5.79% | -0.6 pp |
| 2007 | 6.41% | -0.9 pp |
| 2006 | 7.27% | +0.1 pp |
| 2005 | 7.17% | -0.5 pp |
| 2004 | 7.72% | +0.8 pp |
| 2003 | 6.95% | -1.2 pp |
| 2002 | 8.11% | +1.6 pp |
| 2001 | 6.56% | -0.4 pp |
| 2000 | 6.97% | +0.7 pp |
| 1999 | 6.24% | +0.6 pp |
| 1998 | 5.63% | +0.1 pp |
| 1997 | 5.52% | -1.2 pp |
| 1996 | 6.74% | -1.3 pp |
| 1995 | 8.01% | -0.2 pp |
| 1994 | 8.17% | -0.1 pp |
| 1993 | 8.25% | -0.0 pp |
| 1992 | 8.26% | +0.0 pp |
| 1991 | 8.23% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Romania’s Unemployment in 1992?
8.26% (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 Romania’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -27.2% in total — about 0.9% 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: 5.99%; 2024: 5.4%; 2023: 5.59%; 2022: 5.61%; 2021: 5.59%. 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.