China Unemployment Rate
Unemployment as % of total labor force SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS
Overview
China's unemployment rate stood at 4.62% in 2025, a decline of +0.50pp from 2024. The IMF projects 5.10% by 2025. China ranked 75th globally.
Data & projection
| Year | Unemployment Rate | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2030* IMF | 5.10% | - | - |
| 2029* IMF | 5.10% | - | - |
| 2028* IMF | 5.10% | - | - |
| 2027* IMF | 5.10% | - | - |
| 2026* IMF | 5.10% | - | - |
| 2025* IMF | 5.10% | - | - |
| 2025 | 4.62% | −0.50pp | #75 |
| 2024 | 4.59% | −0.63pp | #85 |
| 2023 | 4.67% | −0.91pp | #86 |
| 2022 | 4.98% | −0.14pp | #88 |
| 2021 | 4.55% | −1.07pp | #59 |
| 2020 | 5.00% | −0.15pp | #65 |
| 2019 | 4.56% | −0.37pp | #79 |
| 2018 | 4.31% | −0.69pp | #70 |
| 2017 | 4.47% | −0.09pp | #71 |
| 2016 | 4.56% | −0.09pp | #65 |
| 2015 | 4.65% | +0.02pp | #68 |
| 2014 | 4.63% | +0.03pp | #64 |
| 2013 | 4.60% | +0.02pp | #66 |
| 2012 | 4.58% | +0.03pp | #68 |
| 2011 | 4.55% | +0.02pp | #65 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
China matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2013. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw unemployment rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
China's unemployment rate was 4.62% in 2025. Ranked 75th globally. This represents a 9.8% decrease from the previous year.
China's unemployment rate peaked at 5.00% in 2020.
The lowest unemployment rate in China was 2.37% in 1991.
China ranks 75th globally in unemployment rate as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
China's unemployment rate is projected to reach 5.10% by 2025 based on IMF projection.
The unemployment rate of China in 2025 was 4.62%. This ranks 75th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_china_unemployment-rate,
title = {China Unemployment Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/china/unemployment-rate},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}