Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Japan
Japan: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 2.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
2.5%
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
159th
of 185 countries
All-time high
5.4%
in 2002
All-time low
1.1%
in 1964
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Japan, 1960–2025
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 Japan is 2.5%, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 26.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Japan peaked at 5.4% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 1.1%, in 1964.
Japan ranks 159th of 185 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Japan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 1.7% | — |
| 1961 | 1.4% | -17.6% |
| 1962 | 1.3% | -7.1% |
| 1963 | 1.3% | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 1.1% | -15.4% |
| 1965 | 1.2% | +9.1% |
| 1966 | 1.3% | +8.3% |
| 1967 | 1.3% | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 1.2% | -7.7% |
| 1969 | 1.1% | -8.3% |
| 1970 | 1.1% | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 1.2% | +9.1% |
| 1972 | 1.4% | +16.7% |
| 1973 | 1.3% | -7.1% |
| 1974 | 1.4% | +7.7% |
| 1975 | 1.9% | +35.7% |
| 1976 | 2.0% | +5.3% |
| 1977 | 2.0% | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 2.2% | +10.0% |
| 1979 | 2.1% | -4.5% |
| 1980 | 2.0% | -4.8% |
| 1981 | 2.2% | +10.0% |
| 1982 | 2.4% | +9.1% |
| 1983 | 2.6% | +8.3% |
| 1984 | 2.7% | +3.8% |
| 1985 | 2.6% | -3.7% |
| 1986 | 2.8% | +7.7% |
| 1987 | 2.8% | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 2.5% | -10.7% |
| 1989 | 2.3% | -8.0% |
| 1990 | 2.1% | -8.7% |
| 1991 | 2.1% | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 2.2% | +4.8% |
| 1993 | 2.5% | +13.6% |
| 1994 | 2.9% | +16.0% |
| 1995 | 3.2% | +10.3% |
| 1996 | 3.4% | +6.2% |
| 1997 | 3.4% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 4.1% | +20.6% |
| 1999 | 4.7% | +14.6% |
| 2000 | 4.7% | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 5.0% | +5.7% |
| 2002 | 5.4% | +7.3% |
| 2003 | 5.3% | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 4.7% | -9.8% |
| 2005 | 4.4% | -6.1% |
| 2006 | 4.2% | -5.7% |
| 2007 | 3.9% | -7.3% |
| 2008 | 4.0% | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 5.1% | +26.6% |
| 2010 | 5.1% | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 4.5% | -10.8% |
| 2012 | 4.4% | -4.2% |
| 2013 | 4.0% | -7.3% |
| 2014 | 3.6% | -11.1% |
| 2015 | 3.4% | -5.7% |
| 2016 | 3.1% | -7.5% |
| 2017 | 2.8% | -9.9% |
| 2018 | 2.5% | -12.6% |
| 2019 | 2.4% | -4.7% |
| 2020 | 2.8% | +19.5% |
| 2021 | 2.8% | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 2.6% | -6.9% |
| 2023 | 2.6% | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 2.5% | -3.3% |
| 2025 | 2.5% | +0.0% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 2.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.9%, 51% of the median. (77 countries reporting)
- Japan's 2.5% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.5%, 72% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.3% | 1.1% | 1.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.7% | 1.1% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.5% | 2.0% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.1% | 2.1% | 4.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.7% | 3.9% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.6% | 2.4% | 5.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 156 Seychelles 2.6% compare
- 157 Macao 2.5% compare
- 157 Mexico 2.5% compare
- 160 Tanzania 2.4% compare
- 161 Philippines 2.4% compare
- 162 Cote d'Ivoire 2.3% compare
- 162 Liechtenstein 2.3% compare
More reference data data for Japan
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.19 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.981 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.3629 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.98 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 4.16 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.57 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 23.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.98 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Japan?
- Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Japan was 2.5% 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 Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 5.4% in 2002.
- What is the lowest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 1964.
- How does Japan rank for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
- Japan ranks 159th out of 185 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Japan 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 — 66 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.