Papua New Guinea Unemployment Rate
Unemployment as % of total labor force SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS
Papua New Guinea's unemployment rate was 2.57% in 2025, ranked 25th globally. This represents a 2.1% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1991–2025.
Overview
Papua New Guinea's unemployment rate stood at 2.57% in 2025, a decline of +0.05pp from 2024. Papua New Guinea ranked 25th globally.
Papua New Guinea's unemployment rate has experienced a relatively stable trajectory, with a 35-year coverage period. The country's all-time trough of 2.00% in 2010 represents a low point, followed by an upward trend that culminated in an all-time peak of 3.03% in 2021. The unemployment rate has since decreased, reaching 2.57% in 2025, a value that ranks the country 25th globally. In comparison, Japan, a peer country, had an unemployment rate of 2.45% in 2025, indicating a similarly low level of unemployment. This trend suggests that Papua New Guinea has achieved a relatively stable labor market, with a low unemployment rate. A sustained economic growth, particularly in the non-resource sectors, could further reduce unemployment and solidify Papua New Guinea's position among countries with low unemployment rates.
Data & projection
| Year | Unemployment Rate | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.57% | −0.05pp | #25 |
| 2024 | 2.63% | −0.02pp | #28 |
| 2023 | 2.65% | −0.04pp | #28 |
| 2022 | 2.69% | −0.34pp | #28 |
| 2021 | 3.03% | +0.13pp | #28 |
| 2020 | 2.90% | +0.25pp | #25 |
| 2019 | 2.65% | +0.00pp | #31 |
| 2018 | 2.65% | +0.07pp | #28 |
| 2017 | 2.58% | +0.10pp | #26 |
| 2016 | 2.48% | −0.03pp | #23 |
| 2015 | 2.51% | −0.03pp | #26 |
| 2014 | 2.54% | −0.16pp | #26 |
| 2013 | 2.70% | +0.06pp | #26 |
| 2012 | 2.63% | +0.01pp | #24 |
| 2011 | 2.62% | +0.62pp | #22 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Papua New Guinea matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2022. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw unemployment rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Papua New Guinea's unemployment rate was 2.57% in 2025. Ranked 25th globally. This represents a 2.1% decrease from the previous year.
Papua New Guinea's unemployment rate peaked at 3.03% in 2021.
The lowest unemployment rate in Papua New Guinea was 2.00% in 2010.
Papua New Guinea ranks 25th 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 Papua New Guinea in 2025 was 2.57%. This ranks 25th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_papua-new-guinea_unemployment-rate,
title = {Papua New Guinea Unemployment Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/papua-new-guinea/unemployment-rate/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}