EU countries by long-term unemployment rate

Greece had the highest long-term unemployment rate of 27 EU countries in 2021, at 9.2%. The Netherlands had the lowest, at 0.8%. The median was 2% and the figure for the European Union (27) was 2.8%. Source: Eurostat, European Commission.

Highest9.2Greece

Lowest0.8Netherlands

Median227 EU countries

European Union (27)2.8History

Map of EU countries, 2021

Under 1.2
1.2 to 1.8
1.8 to 2.4
2.4 to 2.7
2.7 and over

%, 2021. 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, 2021

%. 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

Rank	EU countries	2021 (%)	Change on 2020
1	Greece	9.2	-1.3 pts
2	Spain	6.2	+1.2 pts
3	Italy	5.4	+0.3 pts
4	Slovakia	3.9	+0.2 pts
5	Portugal	2.9	+0.6 pts
6	Croatia	2.7	+0.6 pts
7	Belgium	2.6	+0.5 pts
7	Bulgaria	2.6	-0.2 pts
7	Lithuania	2.6	+0.1 pts
10	Cyprus	2.5	+0.3 pts
11	France	2.4	+0.4 pts
12	Latvia	2.3	-0.1 pts
13	Austria	2	+0.3 pts
13	Romania	2	+0.2 pts
15	Slovenia	1.9	0 pts
16	Finland	1.8	+0.3 pts
16	Ireland Series break	1.8	+0.4 pts
16	Luxembourg	1.8	+0.1 pts
16	Sweden	1.8	+0.8 pts
20	Estonia	1.6	+0.4 pts
21	Hungary	1.3	+0.2 pts
22	Germany	1.2	+0.1 pts
23	Denmark	1	+0.1 pts
23	Malta	1	-0.3 pts
25	Poland	0.9	+0.3 pts
26	Czechia	0.8	+0.2 pts
26	Netherlands	0.8	+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, 2021) [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, 2021. 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=2021. 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, 2021. 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=2021.

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, 2021 [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=2021 (Accessed: 18 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{eurostat_eu_countries_by_long_2021,
  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, 2021}},
  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=2021. 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, 2021
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=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/18
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/long-term-unemployment-rate/eu-countries?period=2021.
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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rank_places {"indicator":"long_term_unemployment_rate","level":"country","within":"European Union (27)","limit":10}
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Questions

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

Greece, with 9.2% in 2021, according to Eurostat, European Commission.

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

The Netherlands, with 0.8% in 2021.

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.