Countries by Unemployment Rate 2026
Source:
Wikipedia
Key Findings
🏆
South Africa leads in Unemployment Rate (%) with 32.50 in 2026.
📊
Average Unemployment Rate (%) in 2026: 10.88 · median: 8.15.
↔️
Gap in 2026: South Africa is 16.3× larger than Singapore.
About This Dataset
Countries by Unemployment Rate 2026
Countries ranked by official unemployment rate as a percentage of the labour force in 2026, according to ILO and IMF estimates. South Africa has persistently recorded one of the world's highest unemployment rates among major economies — with structural unemployment exceeding 32% in 2026, reflecting deep economic inequalities rooted in the apartheid legacy, a mismatch between workforce skills and labour market demand, and an energy infrastructure crisis that has constrained business investment and job creation for over a decade.
Analysis
The top three in Unemployment Rate (%) in 2026 are South Africa (32.5), Venezuela (18.3) and Spain (11.2). The 8 entries in Unemployment Rate (%) cover a range of 30.5, from 32.5 down to 2. First and second are separated by 14.2, so the leader sits inside the field rather than apart from it. Only 2 of the 8 reach even half the leader's figure (16.3 or more).
Data Insights
Numbers, trends & sources behind this chart
Methodology & source
- Data source
- Wikipedia
- Coverage
- 8 entities · 2026 · 8 observations
- Measure
- Unemployment Rate (%)
- Last updated
- 6 September 2026
- Compiled by
- The ANYSTAT team, from the source above
How the figures are calculated
- Values use the measure and unit named on this page. Consult the dataset description and cited source for coverage, definitions and any unit conversions. Displayed values may be rounded for readability.
- Entities are ranked highest-first on their value in 2026.
Data Sources & References
All external sources cited in this dataset
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Each country's page lists its position in every ranking on ANYSTAT.
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