EU countries by unemployment rate

Greece had the highest unemployment rate of 27 EU countries in 2014, at 26.6%. Germany had the lowest, at 4.7%. The median was 9.2% and the figure for the European Union (27) was 11%. Source: Eurostat, European Commission.

Highest26.6Greece
Lowest4.7Germany
Median9.227 EU countries
European Union (27)11History

All EU countries, 2014

CSVChart (SVG)

GreeceGreece: 26.6 %26.6SpainSpain: 24.5 %24.5CroatiaCroatia: 17.3 %17.3CyprusCyprus: 16.1 %16.1PortugalPortugal: 14.6 %14.6SlovakiaSlovakia: 13.1 %13.1ItalyItaly: 12.9 %12.9BulgariaBulgaria: 12.4 %12.4IrelandIreland: 11.9 %11.9LatviaLatvia: 10.9 %10.9LithuaniaLithuania: 10.7 %10.7FranceFrance: 10.3 %10.3SloveniaSlovenia: 9.7 %9.7PolandPoland: 9.2 %9.2BelgiumBelgium: 8.7 %8.7FinlandFinland: 8.7 %8.7RomaniaRomania: 8.6 %8.6NetherlandsNetherlands: 8.4 %8.4SwedenSweden: 8 %8HungaryHungary: 7.5 %7.5EstoniaEstonia: 7.3 %7.3DenmarkDenmark: 6.9 %6.9CzechiaCzechia: 6.1 %6.1AustriaAustria: 6 %6LuxembourgLuxembourg: 5.9 %5.9MaltaMalta: 5.7 %5.7GermanyGermany: 4.7 %4.7
%. Source: Eurostat. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankEU countries2014 (%)Change on 2013
1Greece26.6-1.2 pts
2Spain24.5-1.6 pts
3Croatia17.30 pts
4Cyprus16.1+0.2 pts
5Portugal14.6-2.6 pts
6Slovakia13.1-1 pts
7Italy12.9+0.5 pts
8Bulgaria12.4-1.5 pts
9Ireland11.9-1.9 pts
10Latvia10.9-1 pts
11Lithuania10.7-1.1 pts
12France10.30 pts
13Slovenia9.7-0.4 pts
14Poland9.2-1.4 pts
15Belgium8.7+0.1 pts
15Finland8.7+0.4 pts
17Romania8.6-0.4 pts
18Netherlands8.4+0.2 pts
19Sweden8-0.1 pts
20Hungary7.5-2.3 pts
21Estonia7.3-1.3 pts
22Denmark6.9-0.5 pts
23Czechia6.1-0.9 pts
24Austria6+0.3 pts
25Luxembourg5.90 pts
26Malta5.7-0.4 pts
27Germany4.7-0.2 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Unemployed people as a percentage of the labour force, using the survey definition of unemployment: without work, available and looking for work. Spain: EPA, aged 16 and over. EU: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74. United States: civilian labour force aged 16 and over, from the Current Population Survey for the nation and from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics models, consistent with that survey, for states and counties. Other countries and the World: ILO modelled estimates published by the World Bank, aged 15 and over.

Survey-based. Available for Spain, regions, provinces, EU countries, US states and US counties, not Spanish municipalities. For municipalities use registered_unemployment_rate. US national and state rates are seasonally adjusted; county rates are not. Countries without a national or Eurostat series get the annual ILO modelled estimate, a model output rather than a survey result.

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. Unemployment by sex and age, annual data (une_rt_a). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/une_rt_a/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which EU country has the highest unemployment rate?

Greece, with 26.6% in 2014, according to Eurostat, European Commission.

Which EU country has the lowest unemployment rate?

Germany, with 4.7% 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, Unemployment by sex and age, annual data (une_rt_a). Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

EU countries: more rankings