EU countries by unemployment rate

Greece had the highest unemployment rate of 27 EU countries in 2015, at 25%. Germany had the lowest, at 4.4%. The median was 9% and the figure for the European Union (27) was 10.2%. Source: Eurostat, European Commission.

Highest25Greece
Lowest4.4Germany
Median927 EU countries
European Union (27)10.2History

All EU countries, 2015

CSVChart (SVG)

GreeceGreece: 25 %25SpainSpain: 22.1 %22.1CroatiaCroatia: 16.2 %16.2CyprusCyprus: 15 %15PortugalPortugal: 13 %13ItalyItaly: 12 %12SlovakiaSlovakia: 11.5 %11.5FranceFrance: 10.4 %10.4BulgariaBulgaria: 10.1 %10.1IrelandIreland: 9.9 %9.9LatviaLatvia: 9.9 %9.9FinlandFinland: 9.4 %9.4LithuaniaLithuania: 9.1 %9.1SloveniaSlovenia: 9 %9BelgiumBelgium: 8.7 %8.7RomaniaRomania: 8.4 %8.4NetherlandsNetherlands: 7.9 %7.9PolandPoland: 7.7 %7.7SwedenSweden: 7.5 %7.5LuxembourgLuxembourg: 6.7 %6.7HungaryHungary: 6.6 %6.6EstoniaEstonia: 6.4 %6.4DenmarkDenmark: 6.3 %6.3AustriaAustria: 6.1 %6.1MaltaMalta: 5.4 %5.4CzechiaCzechia: 5.1 %5.1GermanyGermany: 4.4 %4.4
%. Source: Eurostat. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankEU countries2015 (%)Change on 2014
1Greece25-1.6 pts
2Spain22.1-2.4 pts
3Croatia16.2-1.1 pts
4Cyprus15-1.1 pts
5Portugal13-1.6 pts
6Italy12-0.9 pts
7Slovakia11.5-1.6 pts
8France10.4+0.1 pts
9Bulgaria10.1-2.3 pts
10Ireland9.9-2 pts
10Latvia9.9-1 pts
12Finland9.4+0.7 pts
13Lithuania9.1-1.6 pts
14Slovenia9-0.7 pts
15Belgium8.70 pts
16Romania8.4-0.2 pts
17Netherlands7.9-0.5 pts
18Poland7.7-1.5 pts
19Sweden7.5-0.5 pts
20Luxembourg Series break6.7+0.8 pts
21Hungary6.6-0.9 pts
22Estonia6.4-0.9 pts
23Denmark6.3-0.6 pts
24Austria6.1+0.1 pts
25Malta5.4-0.3 pts
26Czechia5.1-1 pts
27Germany4.4-0.3 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 25% in 2015, according to Eurostat, European Commission.

Which EU country has the lowest unemployment rate?

Germany, with 4.4% in 2015.

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