Unemployment, national estimate (% of total labor force) - SDG 8.5.2 in Portugal

Portugal: Unemployment, national estimate (% of total labor force) - SDG 8.5.2 was 5.86 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
5.86
Change on year
down 8.9%
World rank
34th
of 69 countries
All-time high
16.24
in 2013
All-time low
1.77
in 1974
Years of data
52
1974–2025

Unemployment, national estimate (% of total labor force) - SDG 8.5.2 in Portugal, 1974–2025

051015197419992025

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

The most recent figure for unemployment, national estimate (% of total labor force) - sdg 8.5.2 in Portugal is 5.86, measured in 2025.

The figure is down 8.9% on the previous year and down 52.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment, national estimate (% of total labor force) - sdg 8.5.2 in Portugal peaked at 16.24 in 2013 and was at its lowest, 1.77, in 1974.

Portugal ranks 34th of 69 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 52 years of available data.

Unemployment, national estimate (% of total labor force) - SDG 8.5.2 in Portugal, year by year

Annual values for Unemployment, national estimate (% of total labor force) - SDG 8.5.2 in Portugal, 1974 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1974 1.77
1975 4.55 +157.2%
1976 6.42 +41.1%
1977 7.54 +17.4%
1978 8.08 +7.2%
1979 8.15 +0.8%
1980 7.68 -5.7%
1981 8.34 +8.6%
1982 7.38 -11.5%
1983 7.75 +5.0%
1984 8.95 +15.5%
1985 8.27 -7.6%
1986 8.7 +5.2%
1987 7.38 -15.2%
1988 6.01 -18.6%
1989 5.13 -14.6%
1990 4.64 -9.5%
1991 3.92 -15.6%
1992 3.98 +1.7%
1993 5.3 +33.0%
1994 6.71 +26.6%
1995 7.06 +5.3%
1996 7.3 +3.3%
1997 6.57 -10.0%
1998 4.64 -29.4%
1999 4.58 -1.3%
2000 3.81 -16.9%
2001 3.83 +0.6%
2002 4.5 +17.4%
2003 6.13 +36.4%
2004 6.32 +3.0%
2005 7.58 +20.0%
2006 7.65 +0.9%
2007 7.96 +4.1%
2008 7.55 -5.2%
2009 9.43 +24.9%
2010 10.77 +14.2%
2011 12.71 +18.0%
2012 15.51 +22.0%
2013 16.24 +4.7%
2014 13.88 -14.5%
2015 12.4 -10.6%
2016 11.06 -10.9%
2017 8.88 -19.7%
2018 6.97 -21.5%
2019 6.42 -7.8%
2020 6.85 +6.7%
2021 6.71 -2.0%
2022 6.14 -8.6%
2023 6.5 +5.9%
2024 6.43 -1.1%
2025 5.86 -8.9%

Portugal compared with similar countries

  • Portugal's 5.86 is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.67, 1.3× the median. (40 countries reporting)
  • Portugal's 5.86 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5.43, 1.1× the median. (49 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Unemployment, national estimate (% of total labor force) - SDG 8.5.2 in Portugal changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1975 +157.2% 1.77 4.55

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 6.08 1.77 8.15 6
1980s 7.56 5.13 8.95 10
1990s 5.47 3.92 7.3 10
2000s 6.48 3.81 9.43 10
2010s 11.48 6.42 16.24 10
2020s 6.41 5.86 6.85 6

Countries ranked near Portugal

  1. 31 Luxembourg 6.42 compare
  2. 32 Denmark 6.15 compare
  3. 33 Egypt 5.95 compare
  4. 35 Austria 5.78 compare
  5. 36 Belgium 5.71 compare
  6. 37 Azerbaijan 5.7 compare

See the full ranking of 69 places →

More health data for Portugal

All data for Portugal →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment, national estimate (% of total labor force) - sdg 8.5.2 in Portugal?
Unemployment, national estimate (% of total labor force) - sdg 8.5.2 in Portugal was 5.86 in 2025, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest unemployment, national estimate (% of total labor force) - sdg 8.5.2 recorded in Portugal?
The highest recorded value was 16.24 in 2013.
What is the lowest unemployment, national estimate (% of total labor force) - sdg 8.5.2 recorded in Portugal?
The lowest recorded value was 1.77 in 1974.
How does Portugal rank for unemployment, national estimate (% of total labor force) - sdg 8.5.2?
Portugal ranks 34th out of 69 countries with data for 2025.
Is unemployment, national estimate (% of total labor force) - sdg 8.5.2 rising or falling in Portugal?
Over the last ten years it is down 52.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Portugal data come from?
The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of Unemployment, national estimate (% of total labor force) - SDG 8.5.2. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Unemployment, national estimate (% of total labor force) - SDG 8.5.2 in Portugal. Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/unemployment-national-estimate-percent-of-total-labor-force-sdg-8-5-2/portugal/

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About this data

Indicator
Unemployment, national estimate (% of total labor force) - SDG 8.5.2
Source
UNICEF
Licence
UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
69 places, 2,350 data points, 1969–2025
Last refreshed