Mozambique Unemployment Rate
Unemployment as % of total labor force SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS
Mozambique's unemployment rate was 6.63% in 2025, ranked 120th globally. This represents a 0.6% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1991–2025.
Overview
Mozambique's unemployment rate stood at 6.63% in 2025, a decline of +0.04pp from 2024. Mozambique ranked 120th globally.
Mozambique’s unemployment rate has risen steadily since the early 1990s, moving from 2.84 % in 1991 to a peak of 6.79 % in 2022 before slipping slightly to 6.63 % in 2025, placing the country at 120th globally. The early trough of 2.64 % in 1998 reflected a period of rapid post‑conflict economic expansion, but the subsequent climb mirrors structural challenges, including limited formal sector growth and vulnerability to external shocks. Mozambique’s 2025 rate is comparable to Latvia’s 6.57 % and Lithuania’s 6.73 %, suggesting that its labour market performance now aligns with small, open economies that face similar constraints in diversifying employment opportunities. The modest decline from the 2022 peak indicates that policy measures aimed at boosting private‑sector investment and improving vocational training could begin to reverse the upward trend, provided that macro‑economic stability is maintained and external financing conditions improve.
Data & projection
| Year | Unemployment Rate | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6.63% | −0.04pp | #120 |
| 2024 | 6.67% | +0.01pp | #124 |
| 2023 | 6.66% | −0.13pp | #127 |
| 2022 | 6.79% | +1.38pp | #123 |
| 2021 | 5.41% | +0.39pp | #86 |
| 2020 | 5.02% | +0.56pp | #67 |
| 2019 | 4.46% | +0.25pp | #72 |
| 2018 | 4.21% | +0.28pp | #68 |
| 2017 | 3.94% | +0.29pp | #55 |
| 2016 | 3.65% | +0.22pp | #46 |
| 2015 | 3.43% | +0.05pp | #40 |
| 2014 | 3.38% | +0.03pp | #39 |
| 2013 | 3.35% | +0.04pp | #38 |
| 2012 | 3.30% | +0.01pp | #36 |
| 2011 | 3.30% | +0.04pp | #34 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Mozambique matched the Orthodox Tightening Cycle pattern in 2017. Historically, 57% of countries showing this pattern (177 out of 311) saw unemployment rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Mozambique's unemployment rate was 6.63% in 2025. Ranked 120th globally. This represents a 0.6% decrease from the previous year.
Mozambique's unemployment rate peaked at 6.79% in 2022.
The lowest unemployment rate in Mozambique was 2.64% in 1998.
Mozambique ranks 120th globally in unemployment rate as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
The unemployment rate of Mozambique in 2025 was 6.63%. This ranks 120th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_mozambique_unemployment-rate,
title = {Mozambique Unemployment Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/mozambique/unemployment-rate/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}