Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate / Regions of Germany (NUTS 2)

Regions of Germany (NUTS 2) by unemployment rate

Bremen had the highest unemployment rate of 37 regions in 2021, at 6.5%. Niederbayern had the lowest, at 1.8%. The median was 3.4% and the figure for Germany was 3.6%. Source: Eurostat, European Commission.

Highest6.5Bremen
Lowest1.8Niederbayern
Median3.437 regions
Germany3.6History

All regions, 2021

CSVChart (SVG)

BremenBremen: 6.5 %6.5BerlinBerlin: 5.7 %5.7HamburgHamburg: 4.5 %4.5LeipzigLeipzig: 4.5 %4.5DüsseldorfDüsseldorf: 4.4 %4.4ArnsbergArnsberg: 4.2 %4.2Rheinhessen-PfalzRheinhessen-Pfalz: 4.2 %4.2Sachsen-AnhaltSachsen-Anhalt: 4.2 %4.2DarmstadtDarmstadt: 4.1 %4.1KölnKöln: 4.1 %4.1BraunschweigBraunschweig: 3.9 %3.9DetmoldDetmold: 3.9 %3.9Mecklenburg-VorpommernMecklenburg-Vorpommern: 3.8 %3.8MünsterMünster: 3.7 %3.7Weser-EmsWeser-Ems: 3.6 %3.6GießenGießen: 3.5 %3.5ThüringenThüringen: 3.5 %3.5DresdenDresden: 3.4 %3.4KarlsruheKarlsruhe: 3.4 %3.4MittelfrankenMittelfranken: 3.4 %3.4OberfrankenOberfranken: 3.3 %3.3FreiburgFreiburg: 3.2 %3.2SaarlandSaarland: 3.2 %3.2Schleswig-HolsteinSchleswig-Holstein: 3.2 %3.2LüneburgLüneburg: 3.1 %3.1StuttgartStuttgart: 3.1 %3.1BrandenburgBrandenburg: 3 %3KasselKassel: 3 %3TübingenTübingen: 3 %3HannoverHannover: 2.8 %2.8KoblenzKoblenz: 2.8 %2.8SchwabenSchwaben: 2.8 %2.8OberbayernOberbayern: 2.7 %2.7UnterfrankenUnterfranken: 2.6 %2.6OberpfalzOberpfalz: 2.4 %2.4ChemnitzChemnitz: 2.3 %2.3NiederbayernNiederbayern: 1.8 %1.8
%. Source: Eurostat. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankRegions2021 (%)Change on 2020
1Bremen Series break6.5n/a
2Berlin Series break5.7-0.4 pts
3Hamburg Series break4.5-0.3 pts
3Leipzig Series break4.5-0.8 pts
5Düsseldorf Series break4.4-0.7 pts
6Arnsberg Series break4.2-0.9 pts
6Rheinhessen-Pfalz Series break4.2+0.2 pts
6Sachsen-Anhalt Series break4.2-0.6 pts
9Darmstadt Series break4.1-0.1 pts
9Köln Series break4.10 pts
11Braunschweig Series break3.9-0.6 pts
11Detmold Series break3.9+0.2 pts
13Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Series break3.8-0.7 pts
14Münster Series break3.7+0.1 pts
15Weser-Ems Series break3.6+0.3 pts
16Gießen Series break3.5-1.7 pts
16Thüringen Series break3.5-0.7 pts
18Dresden Series break3.4-0.2 pts
18Karlsruhe Series break3.4-0.1 pts
18Mittelfranken Series break3.4-0.4 pts
21Oberfranken Series break3.3n/a
22Freiburg Series break3.2+0.5 pts
22Saarland Series break3.2n/a
22Schleswig-Holstein Series break3.2-0.3 pts
25Lüneburg Series break3.1-0.7 pts
25Stuttgart Series break3.1-0.4 pts
27Brandenburg Series break3-1.2 pts
27Kassel Series break3n/a
27Tübingen Series break3+0.1 pts
30Hannover Series break2.8-0.9 pts
30Koblenz Series break2.8n/a
30Schwaben Series break2.8+0.3 pts
33Oberbayern Series break2.7-0.1 pts
34Unterfranken Series break2.6n/a
35Oberpfalz Series break2.4n/a
36Chemnitz Series break2.3n/a
37Niederbayern Series break1.8n/a

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 regions are compared on one definition. 1 regions with data in other periods have no value for 2021 and are left out rather than filled from another source. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

Eurostat. Unemployment rates by NUTS 2 region (lfst_r_lfu3rt). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/lfst_r_lfu3rt/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which region has the highest unemployment rate?

Bremen, with 6.5% in 2021, according to Eurostat, European Commission.

Which region has the lowest unemployment rate?

Niederbayern, with 1.8% 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, Unemployment rates by NUTS 2 region (lfst_r_lfu3rt). Retrieved 2026-10-08. 1 regions have no value for 2021 and are not ranked.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

Regions of Germany (NUTS 2): more rankings