Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in North Macedonia
North Macedonia: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 11.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in North Macedonia, 1982–2025
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 North Macedonia stood at 11.5%. That is the lowest value across all 44 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.0% on the previous year and down 56.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in North Macedonia peaked at 37.3% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 11.5%, in 2025.
That places North Macedonia 21st out of 185 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 44 years of available data.
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in North Macedonia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 22.0% | — |
| 1983 | 20.9% | -5.0% |
| 1984 | 21.1% | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 21.6% | +2.4% |
| 1986 | 21.7% | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 21.5% | -0.9% |
| 1988 | 21.4% | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 22.6% | +5.6% |
| 1990 | 23.6% | +4.4% |
| 1991 | 24.5% | +3.8% |
| 1992 | 26.3% | +7.3% |
| 1993 | 27.7% | +5.3% |
| 1994 | 30.0% | +8.3% |
| 1995 | 35.6% | +18.7% |
| 1996 | 31.8% | -10.7% |
| 1997 | 36.0% | +13.2% |
| 1998 | 34.5% | -4.2% |
| 1999 | 32.4% | -6.1% |
| 2000 | 32.2% | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 30.5% | -5.2% |
| 2002 | 31.9% | +4.7% |
| 2003 | 36.7% | +14.8% |
| 2004 | 37.2% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 37.3% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 36.4% | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 35.2% | -3.2% |
| 2008 | 33.9% | -3.7% |
| 2009 | 32.4% | -4.7% |
| 2010 | 33.1% | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 31.5% | -4.9% |
| 2012 | 31.1% | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 29.0% | -6.7% |
| 2014 | 28.2% | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 26.4% | -6.5% |
| 2016 | 24.3% | -7.9% |
| 2017 | 22.9% | -6.0% |
| 2018 | 21.2% | -7.2% |
| 2019 | 17.4% | -17.9% |
| 2020 | 16.6% | -4.8% |
| 2021 | 15.8% | -4.7% |
| 2022 | 14.5% | -8.4% |
| 2023 | 13.2% | -9.0% |
| 2024 | 12.3% | -6.9% |
| 2025 | 11.5% | -6.0% |
North Macedonia compared with similar countries
- North Macedonia's 11.5% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.8%, 2.0× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- North Macedonia's 11.5% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5.6%, 2.1× the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 21.6% | 20.9% | 22.6% | 8 |
| 1990s | 30.2% | 23.6% | 36.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 34.4% | 30.5% | 37.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.5% | 17.4% | 33.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.0% | 11.5% | 16.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near North Macedonia
- 18 Morocco 11.8% compare
- 19 Algeria 11.7% compare
- 20 Montenegro 11.5% compare
- 22 Lebanon 11.3% compare
- 23 Cape Verde 11.3% compare
- 24 Northern Mariana Islands 11.2% compare
More reference data data for North Macedonia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.102 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.1665 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.4328 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0308 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.4328 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.342 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.224 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.6296 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.91 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.168 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in North Macedonia?
- Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in North Macedonia was 11.5% 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 North Macedonia?
- The highest recorded value was 37.3% in 2005.
- What is the lowest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in North Macedonia?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.5% in 2025.
- How does North Macedonia rank for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
- North Macedonia ranks 21st out of 185 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates rising or falling in North Macedonia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 56.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this North Macedonia 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 — 44 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.