Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Australia
Australia: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 4.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Australia, 1979–2025
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.
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Australia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 6.3% | — |
| 1980 | 6.1% | -2.6% |
| 1981 | 5.8% | -5.3% |
| 1982 | 7.2% | +23.8% |
| 1983 | 10.0% | +39.1% |
| 1984 | 9.0% | -9.8% |
| 1985 | 8.3% | -8.1% |
| 1986 | 8.1% | -2.1% |
| 1987 | 8.1% | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 7.2% | -10.9% |
| 1989 | 6.2% | -14.5% |
| 1990 | 6.9% | +12.2% |
| 1991 | 9.6% | +38.3% |
| 1992 | 10.7% | +12.0% |
| 1993 | 10.9% | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 9.7% | -10.6% |
| 1995 | 8.5% | -12.9% |
| 1996 | 8.5% | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 8.4% | -1.7% |
| 1998 | 7.7% | -8.2% |
| 1999 | 6.9% | -10.5% |
| 2000 | 6.3% | -8.6% |
| 2001 | 6.7% | +7.3% |
| 2002 | 6.4% | -5.5% |
| 2003 | 5.9% | -6.9% |
| 2004 | 5.4% | -9.0% |
| 2005 | 5.0% | -6.7% |
| 2006 | 4.8% | -5.0% |
| 2007 | 4.4% | -8.5% |
| 2008 | 4.2% | -3.3% |
| 2009 | 5.6% | +31.3% |
| 2010 | 5.2% | -6.3% |
| 2011 | 5.1% | -2.5% |
| 2012 | 5.2% | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 5.7% | +8.4% |
| 2014 | 6.1% | +7.3% |
| 2015 | 6.1% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 5.7% | -5.6% |
| 2017 | 5.6% | -1.9% |
| 2018 | 5.3% | -4.6% |
| 2019 | 5.1% | -3.8% |
| 2020 | 6.4% | +24.3% |
| 2021 | 5.0% | -21.5% |
| 2022 | 3.7% | -25.8% |
| 2023 | 3.7% | -1.6% |
| 2024 | 3.9% | +7.5% |
| 2025 | 4.2% | +6.5% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 4.2% is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.9%, 85% of the median. (77 countries reporting)
- Australia's 4.2% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.5%, 1.2× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
- 118 Sri Lanka 4.3% compare
- 119 United States 4.3% compare
- 120 Cayman Islands 4.2% compare
- 122 Faroe Islands 4.0% compare
- 123 Trinidad and Tobago 4.0% compare
- 124 Ghana 4.0% compare
More reference data data for Australia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.21 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 28.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 38.41 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 38.41 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 4.07 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 6.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 118.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 170.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 13.9 (2050)
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
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.