EU countries by long-term unemployment rate

Greece had the highest long-term unemployment rate of 27 EU countries in 2014, at 17.5%. Sweden had the lowest, at 1.3%. The median was 3.9% and the figure for the European Union (27) was 5.4%. Source: Eurostat, European Commission.

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Highest17.5Greece
Lowest1.3Sweden
Median3.927 EU countries
European Union (27)5.4History

Map of EU countries, 2014

Austria: 1.9 %Belgium: 3.9 %Bulgaria: 7.6 %Cyprus: 7.7 %Czechia: 2.7 %Germany: 2.2 %Denmark: 1.7 %Estonia: 3.3 %Spain: 12.9 %Finland: 2.4 %France: 3.1 %Greece: 17.5 %Croatia: 10.2 %Hungary: 3.6 %Ireland: 6.6 %Italy: 8.2 %Lithuania: 4.8 %Luxembourg: 1.6 %Latvia: 5.1 %Malta: 2.9 %Netherlands: 2.7 %Poland: 3.9 %Portugal: 8.7 %Romania: 3.4 %Sweden: 1.3 %Slovenia: 5.3 %Slovakia: 10.7 %
  • Under 2.5
  • 2.5 to 3.3
  • 3.3 to 5
  • 5 to 8.1
  • 8.1 and over
%, 2014. Source: Eurostat, Long-term unemployment as a percentage of the labour force, 15 to 74 years (une_ltu_a). Boundaries: Natural Earth (public domain).

All EU countries, 2014

Greece: 17.5 %Greece17.5Spain: 12.9 %Spain12.9Slovakia: 10.7 %Slovakia10.7Croatia: 10.2 %Croatia10.2Portugal: 8.7 %Portugal8.7Italy: 8.2 %Italy8.2Cyprus: 7.7 %Cyprus7.7Bulgaria: 7.6 %Bulgaria7.6Ireland: 6.6 %Ireland6.6Slovenia: 5.3 %Slovenia5.3Latvia: 5.1 %Latvia5.1Lithuania: 4.8 %Lithuania4.8Belgium: 3.9 %Belgium3.9Poland: 3.9 %Poland3.9Hungary: 3.6 %Hungary3.6Romania: 3.4 %Romania3.4Estonia: 3.3 %Estonia3.3France: 3.1 %France3.1Malta: 2.9 %Malta2.9Czechia: 2.7 %Czechia2.7Netherlands: 2.7 %Netherlands2.7Finland: 2.4 %Finland2.4Germany: 2.2 %Germany2.2Austria: 1.9 %Austria1.9Denmark: 1.7 %Denmark1.7Luxembourg: 1.6 %Luxembourg1.6Sweden: 1.3 %Sweden1.3Greece: 17.5 %Greece17.5Spain: 12.9 %Spain12.9Slovakia: 10.7 %Slovakia10.7Croatia: 10.2 %Croatia10.2Portugal: 8.7 %Portugal8.7Italy: 8.2 %Italy8.2Cyprus: 7.7 %Cyprus7.7Bulgaria: 7.6 %Bulgaria7.6Ireland: 6.6 %Ireland6.6Slovenia: 5.3 %Slovenia5.3Latvia: 5.1 %Latvia5.1Lithuania: 4.8 %Lithuania4.8Belgium: 3.9 %Belgium3.9Poland: 3.9 %Poland3.9Hungary: 3.6 %Hungary3.6Romania: 3.4 %Romania3.4Estonia: 3.3 %Estonia3.3France: 3.1 %France3.1Malta: 2.9 %Malta2.9Czechia: 2.7 %Czechia2.7Netherlands: 2.7 %Netherlands2.7Finland: 2.4 %Finland2.4Germany: 2.2 %Germany2.2Austria: 1.9 %Austria1.9Denmark: 1.7 %Denmark1.7Luxembourg: 1.6 %Luxembourg1.6Sweden: 1.3 %Sweden1.3
%. Source: Eurostat, Long-term unemployment as a percentage of the labour force, 15 to 74 years (une_ltu_a). Retrieved 2026-10-18.

Full ranking

RankEU countries2014 (%)Change on 2013
1Greece17.5+0.8 pts
2Spain12.9-0.1 pts
3Slovakia10.7-0.9 pts
4Croatia10.2-0.8 pts
5Portugal8.7-1 pts
6Italy8.2+0.8 pts
7Cyprus7.7+1.6 pts
8Bulgaria7.6-0.5 pts
9Ireland6.6-1.3 pts
10Slovenia5.3+0.1 pts
11Latvia5.1-1.2 pts
12Lithuania4.8-0.3 pts
13Belgium3.9+0.4 pts
13Poland3.9-0.6 pts
15Hungary3.6-1.2 pts
16Romania3.4-0.5 pts
17Estonia3.3-0.5 pts
18France3.1+0.2 pts
19Malta2.9-0.6 pts
20Czechia2.7-0.3 pts
20Netherlands2.7+0.4 pts
22Finland2.4+0.3 pts
23Germany2.2-0.2 pts
24Austria1.9+0.3 pts
25Denmark1.7-0.1 pts
26Luxembourg1.6-0.2 pts
27Sweden1.3-0.1 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People aged 15 to 74 who have been unemployed for 12 months or more, as a percentage of the labour force aged 15 to 74. Unemployment follows the ILO definition: without work, available to start within two weeks and actively seeking work.

A share of the labour force, not of the unemployed. From the EU labour force survey. Eurostat flags series breaks (most in 2021, under the new framework regulation for social statistics); they are stored as status break.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the EU countries are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

Eurostat. Long-term unemployment as a percentage of the labour force, 15 to 74 years (une_ltu_a). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/une_ltu_a/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-18.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

Eurostat, European Commission. (2026). Long-term unemployment as a percentage of the labour force, 15 to 74 years (une_ltu_a) (EU countries by long-term unemployment rate, 2014) [Data set]. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/une_ltu_a/default/table

MLA 9

Long-term unemployment as a percentage of the labour force, 15 to 74 years (une_ltu_a), EU countries by long-term unemployment rate, 2014. Eurostat, European Commission, 10 Sept. 2026, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/une_ltu_a/default/table. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/long-term-unemployment-rate/eu-countries?period=2014. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

Eurostat, European Commission. 2026. Long-term unemployment as a percentage of the labour force, 15 to 74 years (une_ltu_a). EU countries by long-term unemployment rate, 2014. Dataset. Accessed October 18, 2026. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/une_ltu_a/default/table. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/long-term-unemployment-rate/eu-countries?period=2014.

Harvard

Eurostat, European Commission (2026) Long-term unemployment as a percentage of the labour force, 15 to 74 years (une_ltu_a), EU countries by long-term unemployment rate, 2014 [Dataset]. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/une_ltu_a/default/table, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/long-term-unemployment-rate/eu-countries?period=2014 (Accessed: 18 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{eurostat_eu_countries_by_long_2014,
  author = {{Eurostat, European Commission}},
  title = {{Long-term unemployment as a percentage of the labour force, 15 to 74 years (une\_ltu\_a): EU countries by long-term unemployment rate, 2014}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/une_ltu_a/default/table},
  urldate = {2026-10-18},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/long-term-unemployment-rate/eu-countries?period=2014. Publisher attribution: Eurostat. Long-term unemployment as a percentage of the labour force, 15 to 74 years (une\_ltu\_a). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/une\_ltu\_a/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-18.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - Eurostat, European Commission
TI  - Long-term unemployment as a percentage of the labour force, 15 to 74 years (une_ltu_a): EU countries by long-term unemployment rate, 2014
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/10
PB  - Eurostat, European Commission
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/une_ltu_a/default/table
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/long-term-unemployment-rate/eu-countries?period=2014
Y2  - 2026/10/18
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/long-term-unemployment-rate/eu-countries?period=2014.
N1  - Publisher attribution: Eurostat. Long-term unemployment as a percentage of the labour force, 15 to 74 years (une_ltu_a). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/une_ltu_a/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which EU country has the highest long-term unemployment rate?

Greece, with 17.5% in 2014, according to Eurostat, European Commission.

Which EU country has the lowest long-term unemployment rate?

Sweden, with 1.3% in 2014.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: Eurostat, European Commission, Long-term unemployment as a percentage of the labour force, 15 to 74 years (une_ltu_a). Retrieved 2026-10-18.

Long-term unemployment rate: other rankings

EU countries: more rankings