Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in India

India: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 4.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
4.5%
Change on year
up 8.0%
World rank
111th
of 185 countries
All-time high
7.9%
in 2020
All-time low
2.1%
in 1994
Years of data
13
1994–2025

Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in India, 1994–2025

24681994200920251994: 2.1 %2000: 2.7 %2005: 3.8 %2010: 3.1 %2012: 3.2 %2018: 7.7 %2019: 6.5 %2020: 7.9 %2021: 6.4 %2022: 4.8 %2023: 4.2 %2024: 4.2 %2025: 4.5 %

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 India is 4.5%, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.0% on the previous year and up 39.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in India peaked at 7.9% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 1994.

That places India 111th 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 13 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 2.1% 2.1% 2.1% 1
2000s 3.3% 2.7% 3.8% 2
2010s 5.1% 3.1% 7.7% 4
2020s 5.3% 4.2% 7.9% 6

Countries ranked near India

  1. 108 Paraguay 4.6% compare
  2. 109 China 4.6% compare
  3. 110 Maldives 4.6% compare
  4. 112 Iceland 4.5% compare
  5. 112 Mali 4.5% compare
  6. 112 Norway 4.5% compare

See the full ranking of 185 places →

More reference data data for India

All data for India →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in India?
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in India was 4.5% 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 India?
The highest recorded value was 7.9% in 2020.
What is the lowest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 1994.
How does India rank for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
India ranks 111th out of 185 countries with data for 2025.
Is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is up 39.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this India 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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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.