Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in France

France: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 7.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
7.7%
Change on year
up 3.6%
World rank
54th
of 185 countries
All-time high
12.6%
in 1994
All-time low
2.4%
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025

Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in France, 1970–2025

2.557.51012.5197019972025

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

Analysis

In 2025, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in France stood at 7.7%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.6% on the previous year and down 25.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in France peaked at 12.6% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 2.4%, in 1970.

That places France 54th out of 185 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 3.8% 2.4% 6.0% 10
1980s 9.1% 6.4% 10.7% 10
1990s 11.3% 9.1% 12.6% 10
2000s 8.7% 7.4% 10.2% 10
2010s 9.6% 8.4% 10.4% 10
2020s 7.6% 7.3% 8.0% 6

Countries ranked near France

  1. 51 Uruguay 8.2% compare
  2. 52 Georgia 8.0% compare
  3. 53 Suriname 7.9% compare
  4. 55 Saint Lucia 7.7% compare
  5. 56 Iran 7.6% compare
  6. 57 Sudan 7.5% compare

See the full ranking of 185 places →

More reference data data for France

All data for France →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in France?
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in France was 7.7% 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 France?
The highest recorded value was 12.6% in 1994.
What is the lowest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in France?
The lowest recorded value was 2.4% in 1970.
How does France rank for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
France ranks 54th out of 185 countries with data for 2025.
Is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates rising or falling in France?
Over the last ten years it is down 25.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this France 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.

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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.