St. Lucia — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for St. Lucia, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for St. Lucia was 9.45% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 25.22% in 2020. Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -1.63% per year.
St. Lucia ranks 41 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 22%. The median for Latin America & Caribbean is 5.99%, so St. Lucia sits above it. It peaked in 2020 and has fallen 63% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 55%. Within Latin America & Caribbean it ranks 5 of 31 economies; Bahamas, The (9.21%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 62% in 2020. That is 45% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 21st of 187 in 1991 → 19th of 187 in 2000 → 21st of 187 in 2010 → 5th of 187 in 2020 → 37th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9.45% | -0.7 pp |
| 2024 | 10.2% | -1.9 pp |
| 2023 | 12.09% | -3.8 pp |
| 2022 | 15.93% | -4.6 pp |
| 2021 | 20.51% | -4.7 pp |
| 2020 | 25.22% | +9.6 pp |
| 2019 | 15.61% | -3.7 pp |
| 2018 | 19.33% | +0.2 pp |
| 2017 | 19.14% | -0.8 pp |
| 2016 | 19.93% | -0.9 pp |
| 2015 | 20.84% | -0.7 pp |
| 2014 | 21.58% | -0.6 pp |
| 2013 | 22.21% | +3.2 pp |
| 2012 | 19.06% | +0.2 pp |
| 2011 | 18.86% | +1.7 pp |
| 2010 | 17.12% | +1.7 pp |
| 2009 | 15.37% | +2.6 pp |
| 2008 | 12.72% | -1.3 pp |
| 2007 | 14% | -2.0 pp |
| 2006 | 16% | -2.7 pp |
| 2005 | 18.7% | -2.3 pp |
| 2004 | 20.97% | -1.2 pp |
| 2003 | 22.18% | +1.8 pp |
| 2002 | 20.39% | +1.9 pp |
| 2001 | 18.54% | +2.0 pp |
| 2000 | 16.49% | -1.6 pp |
| 1999 | 18.09% | -3.5 pp |
| 1998 | 21.6% | +1.1 pp |
| 1997 | 20.47% | +4.1 pp |
| 1996 | 16.33% | +0.5 pp |
| 1995 | 15.83% | -1.2 pp |
| 1994 | 17% | +0.2 pp |
| 1993 | 16.8% | +0.3 pp |
| 1992 | 16.55% | +0.0 pp |
| 1991 | 16.52% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was St. Lucia’s Unemployment in 1992?
16.55% (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 St. Lucia’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -42.8% in total — about 1.6% 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: 9.45%; 2024: 10.2%; 2023: 12.09%; 2022: 15.93%; 2021: 20.51%. 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.