Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Canada

Canada: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 6.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
6.8%
Change on year
up 7.5%
World rank
67th
of 185 countries
All-time high
12.0%
in 1983
All-time low
4.7%
in 1969
Years of data
56
1969–2025

Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Canada, 1969–2025

02.557.51012.5196919972025

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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 64 Pakistan 7.0% compare
  2. 65 Latvia 6.9% compare
  3. 65 Lithuania 6.9% compare
  4. 68 Sao Tome and Principe 6.7% compare
  5. 70 Denmark 6.4% compare

See the full ranking of 185 places →

More reference data data for Canada

All data for Canada →

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

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.