• Unemployment rate in largest European countries 2020

In 2020, the unemployment rate of Europe's five largest economies ranged from just 0.3 percent in Germany, to 20.8 percent in Spain. Throughout this provided time period, unemployment has consistently been lowest in Germany, and with the exception of 2006, highest in Spain, when France briefly had a higher unemployment rate.

Unemployment rate of the largest economies in Europe from 1980 to 2021

	Germany	France	United Kingdom	Italy	Spain
2021*	3.4%	10.4%	4.4%	10.5%	17.5%
2020	0.3%	10.4%	4.8%	12.7%	20.8%
2019	1.3%	8.5%	3.8%	10%	14.1%
2018	2%	9%	4.1%	10.6%	15.3%
2017	1.7%	9.4%	4.4%	11.3%	17.2%
2016	0.4%	10%	4.9%	11.7%	19.6%
2015	0.7%	10.4%	5.4%	11.9%	22.1%
2014	0.8%	10.3%	6.2%	12.6%	24.4%
2013	1.6%	10.3%	7.6%	12.1%	26.1%
2012	2.1%	9.8%	8%	10.7%	24.8%
2011	2.5%	9.2%	8.1%	8.4%	21.4%
2010	1.1%	9.3%	7.9%	8.4%	19.9%
2009	0.2%	9.1%	7.6%	7.7%	17.9%
2008	2.7%	7.5%	5.7%	6.7%	11.2%
2007	2.3%	8%	5.4%	6.1%	8.2%
2006	1.8%	8.8%	5.4%	6.8%	8.5%
2005	1.9%	8.9%	4.8%	7.7%	9.2%
2004	1.8%	8.8%	4.8%	8%	11%
2003	1.1%	8.5%	5%	8.5%	11.5%
2002	1.3%	8.3%	5.2%	8.6%	11.5%
2001	1.9%	8.5%	5.1%	9.1%	10.5%
2000	1.4%	9.2%	5.5%	10.1%	13.9%
1999	0.7%	10.4%	6%	10.9%	15.6%
1998	0.6%	10.7%	6.3%	11.3%	18.6%
1997	1.5%	10.9%	7%	11.2%	20.6%
1996	1.3%	10.8%	8.1%	11.2%	22.1%
1995	1.7%	10.5%	8.6%	11.2%	22.9%
1994	2.7%	10.7%	9.5%	10.6%	24.1%
1993	4.5%	10.3%	10.4%	9.8%	22.6%
1992	5%	9.4%	10%	8.8%	18.4%
1991	3.5%	8.6%	8.9%	8.5%	16.3%
1990	2.7%	8.4%	7.1%	8.9%	16.2%
1989	2.8%	8.7%	7.2%	9.7%	17.2%
1988	1.3%	8.8%	8.6%	9.7%	19.2%
1987	0.2%	9.2%	10.4%	9.6%	20.2%
1986	-0.1%	8.9%	11.3%	8.9%	20.9%
1985	2.1%	8.7%	11.4%	8.2%	21.3%
1984	2.4%	8.5%	11.8%	7.8%	19.9%
1983	3.3%	7.4%	11.5%	7.4%	17.2%
1982	5.3%	8.1%	10.7%	8.3%	15.8%
1981	6.3%	7.4%	9.7%	7.6%	13.8%
1980	5.4%	6.3%	7.1%	7.4%	11%

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Source

Release date

April 2020

More information

Region

France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom

Survey time period

1980 to 2020

Supplementary notes

*Forecast data
Germany only includes West Germany prior to German reunification in 1990.

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