Niger Unemployment Rate
Unemployment as % of total labor force SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS
Niger's unemployment rate was 0.39% in 2025, ranked 3rd globally. This represents a 4.8% increase from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1991–2025.
Overview
Niger's unemployment rate stood at 0.39% in 2025, a rise of +0.02pp from 2024. Niger ranked 3rd globally.
Niger’s unemployment rate has remained exceptionally low by international standards, registering 0.39 % in 2025, the third‑lowest level among all World Bank reporting economies. The indicator fell from 1.59 % in 1991 to an all‑time trough of 0.32 % in 2011, before rising to a peak of 3.10 % in 2005 and then stabilising at the current low level. The persistently modest rate reflects Niger’s largely informal labour market, where a majority of the workforce engages in subsistence agriculture and small‑scale trade that are not captured by conventional employment surveys. By contrast, peer economies such as Cambodia (0.26 %) and Thailand (0.78 %) display similarly low unemployment but differ in the composition of formal versus informal work. Continued demographic growth and limited diversification of productive sectors could pressure the labour market, suggesting that without substantial investment in education and formal job creation the unemployment rate may gradually rise in the coming years.
Data & projection
| Year | Unemployment Rate | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.39% | +0.02pp | #3 |
| 2024 | 0.38% | −0.03pp | #3 |
| 2023 | 0.41% | +0.00pp | #3 |
| 2022 | 0.40% | −0.40pp | #3 |
| 2021 | 0.81% | +0.22pp | #4 |
| 2020 | 0.59% | +0.06pp | #3 |
| 2019 | 0.53% | −0.01pp | #4 |
| 2018 | 0.54% | −0.02pp | #3 |
| 2017 | 0.56% | +0.01pp | #3 |
| 2016 | 0.55% | −0.01pp | #2 |
| 2015 | 0.56% | +0.03pp | #3 |
| 2014 | 0.52% | −0.88pp | #2 |
| 2013 | 1.40% | −0.78pp | #10 |
| 2012 | 2.18% | +1.86pp | #19 |
| 2011 | 0.32% | −0.40pp | #1 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Niger matched the Fiscal Dominance Trap pattern in 2008. Historically, 72% of countries showing this pattern (278 out of 386) saw unemployment rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Niger's unemployment rate was 0.39% in 2025. Ranked 3rd globally. This represents a 4.8% increase from the previous year.
Niger's unemployment rate peaked at 3.10% in 2005.
The lowest unemployment rate in Niger was 0.32% in 2011.
Niger ranks 3rd 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 Niger in 2025 was 0.39%. This ranks 3rd in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_niger_unemployment-rate,
title = {Niger Unemployment Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/niger/unemployment-rate/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}