Unemployment Rate: China
China's unemployment rate is currently 5.1% as of 2026. # China Unemployment Rate China's unemployment rate stands at 5.
Current (2026)
5.1%
+0.0% y/y
Peak (2020)
5.6%
Low (2018)
4.9%
Source
IMF World Economic Outlook
2017–2026 · 14 pts
Unemployment Rate — China
2017 — 2026
Unemployment Rate — China
Analysis# China Unemployment Rate
China's unemployment rate stands at 5.1% in 2026, holding steady after three consecutive years of stability. This figure sits midway between the all-time low of 4.9% in 2018 and the peak of 5.6% reached in both 2020 and 2022. Since 2017, the rate has climbed 2.0 percentage points overall, reflecting structural shifts in the world's second-largest economy over the past decade.
The most significant disruption occurred in 2020, when unemployment spiked to 5.6% amid pandemic-related shutdowns. A brief recovery followed in 2021, dropping to 5.1%, but another spike to 5.6% in 2022 underscored persistent labor market challenges. The rate has remained at 5.1% from 2024 onward, suggesting stabilization rather than improvement or deterioration in the near term.
Historical Data
14 Rows| Year | Value | Change % |
|---|---|---|
| 2030 | 5.1% | +0.00% |
| 2029 | 5.1% | +0.00% |
| 2028 | 5.1% | +0.00% |
| 2027 | 5.1% | +0.00% |
| 2026 | 5.1% | +0.00% |
| 2025 | 5.1% | +0.00% |
| 2024 | 5.1% | -1.92% |
| 2023 | 5.2% | -7.14% |
| 2022 | 5.6% | +9.80% |
| 2021 | 5.1% | -8.93% |
| 2020 | 5.6% | +7.69% |
| 2019 | 5.2% | +6.12% |
| 2018 | 4.9% | -2.00% |
| 2017 | 5.0% | — |
Related Data
Other Metrics
For China
Compare Unemployment Rate
Same metric, other countries
Demographics
People & population data