Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Australia

Australia: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 4.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
4.2%
Change on year
up 6.5%
World rank
121st
of 185 countries
All-time high
10.9%
in 1993
All-time low
3.7%
in 2023
Years of data
47
1979–2025

Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Australia, 1979–2025

46810197920022025

Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Australia recorded 4.2% for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.5% on the previous year and down 30.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Australia peaked at 10.9% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 3.7%, in 2023.

Australia ranks 121st of 185 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 47 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 6.3% 6.3% 6.3% 1
1980s 7.6% 5.8% 10.0% 10
1990s 8.8% 6.9% 10.9% 10
2000s 5.5% 4.2% 6.7% 10
2010s 5.5% 5.1% 6.1% 10
2020s 4.5% 3.7% 6.4% 6

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 118 Sri Lanka 4.3% compare
  2. 119 United States 4.3% compare
  3. 120 Cayman Islands 4.2% compare
  4. 122 Faroe Islands 4.0% compare
  5. 123 Trinidad and Tobago 4.0% compare
  6. 124 Ghana 4.0% compare

See the full ranking of 185 places →

More reference data data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Australia?
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Australia was 4.2% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 10.9% in 1993.
What is the lowest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 3.7% in 2023.
How does Australia rank for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
Australia ranks 121st out of 185 countries with data for 2025.
Is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is down 30.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 47 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates
Unit
%
Source
Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
185 places, 5,169 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.