Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Canada
Canada: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 6.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Canada, 1969–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Canada is 6.8%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 7.5% on the previous year and down 2.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Canada peaked at 12.0% in 1983 and was at its lowest, 4.7%, in 1969.
That places Canada 67th out of 185 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 56 years of available data.
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Canada, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | 4.7% | — |
| 1970 | 5.9% | +25.5% |
| 1971 | 6.4% | +8.5% |
| 1972 | 6.3% | -1.6% |
| 1973 | 5.6% | -11.1% |
| 1974 | 5.4% | -3.6% |
| 1976 | 7.1% | +31.3% |
| 1977 | 8.0% | +13.5% |
| 1978 | 8.4% | +4.1% |
| 1979 | 7.5% | -10.2% |
| 1980 | 7.5% | +0.2% |
| 1981 | 7.6% | +0.9% |
| 1982 | 11.0% | +45.1% |
| 1983 | 12.0% | +8.9% |
| 1984 | 11.3% | -5.6% |
| 1985 | 10.5% | -7.4% |
| 1986 | 9.6% | -8.7% |
| 1987 | 8.8% | -8.1% |
| 1988 | 7.8% | -12.0% |
| 1989 | 7.5% | -2.8% |
| 1990 | 8.1% | +7.8% |
| 1991 | 10.3% | +26.9% |
| 1992 | 11.2% | +8.5% |
| 1993 | 11.4% | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 10.4% | -8.6% |
| 1995 | 9.5% | -8.7% |
| 1996 | 9.6% | +1.4% |
| 1997 | 9.1% | -5.4% |
| 1998 | 8.3% | -9.0% |
| 1999 | 7.6% | -8.4% |
| 2000 | 6.8% | -9.9% |
| 2001 | 7.2% | +5.7% |
| 2002 | 7.7% | +6.2% |
| 2003 | 7.6% | -1.2% |
| 2004 | 7.2% | -5.1% |
| 2005 | 6.8% | -5.9% |
| 2006 | 6.5% | -4.1% |
| 2007 | 6.2% | -5.1% |
| 2008 | 6.3% | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 8.5% | +34.6% |
| 2010 | 8.2% | -3.3% |
| 2011 | 7.7% | -6.3% |
| 2012 | 7.4% | -3.0% |
| 2013 | 7.2% | -3.4% |
| 2014 | 7.0% | -1.8% |
| 2015 | 7.0% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 7.1% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 6.4% | -8.8% |
| 2018 | 5.8% | -9.3% |
| 2019 | 5.7% | -2.6% |
| 2020 | 9.7% | +69.8% |
| 2021 | 7.5% | -22.2% |
| 2022 | 5.3% | -29.9% |
| 2023 | 5.4% | +2.2% |
| 2024 | 6.3% | +17.7% |
| 2025 | 6.8% | +7.5% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 6.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.9%, 1.4× the median. (77 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Canada changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +69.8% | 5.7% | 9.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 1 |
| 1970s | 6.7% | 5.4% | 8.4% | 9 |
| 1980s | 9.4% | 7.5% | 12.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.5% | 7.6% | 11.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.1% | 6.2% | 8.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.0% | 5.7% | 8.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.8% | 5.3% | 9.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More reference data data for Canada
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 20.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 20.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 6.86 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 7.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 22.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 99.83 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 15.88 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Canada?
- Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Canada was 6.8% 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 Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 12.0% in 1983.
- What is the lowest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.7% in 1969.
- How does Canada rank for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
- Canada ranks 67th out of 185 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Canada 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 — 56 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.