Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Germany

Germany: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 3.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
3.8%
Change on year
up 13.0%
World rank
129th
of 185 countries
All-time high
11.2%
in 2005
All-time low
3.0%
in 2023
Years of data
43
1983–2025

Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Germany, 1983–2025

246810121983200420251983: 6.4 %1984: 6.7 %1985: 6.9 %1986: 6.6 %1987: 6.8 %1988: 6.3 %1989: 5.7 %1990: 4.9 %1991: 5.3 %1992: 6.3 %1993: 7.7 %1994: 8.7 %1995: 8.2 %1996: 8.8 %1997: 9.9 %1998: 9.8 %1999: 8.9 %2000: 7.9 %2001: 7.8 %2002: 8.5 %2003: 9.8 %2004: 10.7 %2005: 11.2 %2006: 10.3 %2007: 8.7 %2008: 7.5 %2009: 7.9 %2010: 7 %2011: 6 %2012: 5.4 %2013: 5.3 %2014: 5 %2015: 4.6 %2016: 4.1 %2017: 3.8 %2018: 3.4 %2019: 3.2 %2020: 3.9 %2021: 3.5 %2022: 3.1 %2023: 3 %2024: 3.4 %2025: 3.8 %

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 Germany is 3.8%, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 13.0% on the previous year and down 17.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Germany peaked at 11.2% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 3.0%, in 2023.

That places Germany 129th 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 43 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 6.5% 5.7% 6.9% 7
1990s 7.8% 4.9% 9.9% 10
2000s 9.0% 7.5% 11.2% 10
2010s 4.8% 3.2% 7.0% 10
2020s 3.4% 3.0% 3.9% 6

Countries ranked near Germany

  1. 126 Malaysia 3.9% compare
  2. 126 Netherlands 3.9% compare
  3. 126 Slovenia 3.9% compare
  4. 130 Hong Kong 3.7% compare
  5. 131 Bangladesh 3.6% compare
  6. 132 Bulgaria 3.5% compare

See the full ranking of 185 places →

More reference data data for Germany

All data for Germany →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Germany?
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Germany was 3.8% 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 Germany?
The highest recorded value was 11.2% in 2005.
What is the lowest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Germany?
The lowest recorded value was 3.0% in 2023.
How does Germany rank for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
Germany ranks 129th out of 185 countries with data for 2025.
Is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates rising or falling in Germany?
Over the last ten years it is down 17.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Germany 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 — 43 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.