Times of Better Bharat

India, measured — every morning · est. 2026

Unemployment rate

Modelled ILO estimate. Read alongside the labour-force participation rate, which is low in India — people outside the labour force are not counted as unemployed, so the headline rate understates the problem.

Position from worst
4.22
2025
Published by
World Bank / ILO
annual

Unemployment rate over time

4.0%5.0%6.0%7.0%8.0%19911997200320092015202120254.2%
19912025 · 35 observations · lower is better · % of labour force
View as table
PeriodUnemployment rate
20254.2%
20244.2%
20234.2%
20224.8%
20216.4%
20207.9%
20196.5%
20187.7%
20177.6%
20167.6%
20157.6%
20147.7%
20137.7%
20127.6%
20117.6%
20107.6%
20097.6%
20087.6%
20077.6%
20067.6%
20057.6%
20047.6%
20037.6%
20027.7%
20017.6%
20007.6%
19997.6%
19987.6%
19977.6%
19967.5%
19957.6%
19947.6%
19937.7%
19927.6%
19917.6%

Compared with

Vietnam
1.5%
Japan
2.5%
Indonesia
3.2%
Germany
3.7%
Bangladesh
3.8%
Sri Lanka
4.0%
United States
4.2%
India
4.2%
China
4.6%
Pakistan
5.4%
Brazil
6.0%
Nepal
10.5%
South Africa
32.4%
Latest available year for each country · % of labour force · lower is better

Source

World Bank / ILOhttps://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS