Japan vs South Korea: Unemployment rate,Percent
Japan
2.5%
in 2025
South Korea
2.8%
in 2026
Japan rank
66th
South Korea rank
64th
Unemployment rate,Percent over time
- Japan
- South Korea
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 2.8% against 2.5% in Japan, a difference of 0.3%.
That makes South Korea's figure about 1.1 times Japan's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 26 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Japan ahead.
Japan ranks 66th and South Korea ranks 64th of 71 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 2 and South Korea in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 4.7% | 3.6% | 1.0% | Japan |
| 2010s | 3.6% | 3.6% | 0.0% | Japan |
| 2020s | 2.6% | 3.1% | 0.5% | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher unemployment rate,percent, Japan or South Korea?
- South Korea, at 2.8% against 2.5% in Japan as of 2026.
- What is the difference in unemployment rate,percent between Japan and South Korea?
- 0.3%, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and South Korea?
- 26 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2025.
- How do Japan and South Korea rank globally for unemployment rate,percent?
- Japan ranks 66th and South Korea ranks 64th of 71 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- The World Bank, published as Unemployment rate,Percent,,,. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.