Unemployment by Russian regions: where it is lowest and highest, data for 2025

2026-10-22 · Труд и зарплата

In 2025 the unemployment rate in Russia was 2.2%, but the spread between regions is huge: from 0.8% in Moscow to 25.5% in the Republic of Ingushetia. In 51 rows out of 83 regional rows of the Rosstat table the indicator does not exceed 2.0%, and only in six it reaches 5% or more. Below we examine which regions lead on both sides, how the indicator has changed since 2000, why the North Caucasus differs so much from the rest of the country, and what happened in 2020 with Tyva and Chechnya. The sections have charts, the full table can be opened on the website.

Unemployment by region in 2025: from 0.8% to 25.5%

Data from Rosstat's annual labour force survey table. The population aged 15 to 72 is counted, a person without a job who is looking for work and ready to start is considered unemployed. More about the methodology in the article unemployment level in Russia over the years.

The median region in the table has unemployment of 2.0%, meaning half of the regions are lower, half are higher. Compared with the beginning of the century the picture is different: in 2000, in 55 of the 80 regions for which data were available, unemployment reached 10% and above. In 2025 such a level remained in two regions, Ingushetia and Dagestan.

Where unemployment is the lowest

Moscow is first, although in 2000 it was 3.9%. In Saint Petersburg the indicator fell from 6.2% to 1.5% over the same period.

Where unemployment is the highest

The top five places are taken by the North Caucasus republics. Ingushetia is 11.6 times higher than the Russian level and 2.3 times higher than Dagestan, which is second.

Open the regional unemployment ranking →

Federal districts: how the picture changed since 2000

In 2000 Russia as a whole had 10.6% unemployed. The most prosperous was the Central district with 7.8%, the most difficult was the North Caucasus with 20.4%. By 2025 all districts had dropped sharply.

The chart shows the nationwide spikes: 2009, when unemployment in Russia rose from 6.2% to 8.3% amid the global crisis, and 2020, with a rise from 4.6% to 5.8%. At other times the line fell. The North Caucasus district declined at the same rate but from a much higher point: in 2010 it stood at 16.5% against the Russian 7.3%, in 2015 at 11.1%, in 2025 at 7.6%. The gap with the rest of the country narrowed in points but remains more than threefold: 7.6% versus 2.2%.

By the end of 2025 the Siberian district is the highest after the North Caucasus (2.8%), while the Central and Ural districts are the lowest, both at 1.5%.

North Caucasus: why it is so high

In Ingushetia unemployment has never fallen below 25% in a quarter of a century. In 2000 it was 30.3%, in 2005 it was 63.1%, in 2010 it was 49.7%, in 2014 it was 29.8%, in 2025 it was 25.5%. This is the lowest value in the series.

In Dagestan it was 26.5% in 2000, 14.8% in 2010, 10.8% in 2015, 13.1% in 2019, and 10.9% in 2025. In Chechnya the data in the table start from 2006, when it was 67.7%. By 2015 the figure had fallen to 17.1%, by 2019 to 13.3%, and in 2025 to 6.7%.

Fluctuations in such republics can be sharp: from year to year the indicator may jump by several points. The data come from sample surveys, so relying on a single year is not advisable; it is more reliable to look at a trend over five‑ten years. The trend is clear: since 2000 unemployment in the North Caucasus has been decreasing, but it remains the highest in the country.

Pages with dynamics for each region are available on the website: Ingushetia, Dagestan and Chechnya.

2020: where the pandemic hit hardest

All‑Russia unemployment in 2020 rose by 1.2 percentage points, from 4.6% to 5.8%. The increase was uneven across regions.

It hit hardest the republics with already high unemployment. In Tuva in 2020 the rate rose from 12.5% to 18.3% (by 5.8 points), in Chechnya from 13.3% to 18.5% (by 5.2), in Kabardino‑Balkaria from 10.8% to 14.9% (by 4.1), in North Ossetia by 3.3 points. In Moscow the rise was from 1.5% to 2.8%, almost twice, but in absolute numbers more modest.

Later these regions returned to their previous levels and fell lower. In Tuva from 2020 to 2025 the rate fell by 13.5 points, in Kabardino‑Balkaria and Chechnya by 11.8, in Karachay‑Cherkessia by 8.7. In Kabardino‑Balkaria from 14.9% to 3.1%, in Karachay‑Cherkessia from 14.9% to 6.2%.

Tuva is especially striking: in 2000 it was 23.6%, in 2010 21.7%, in 2019 12.5%, and in 2025 4.8%. For a region where a quarter of a century unemployment was higher than any Russian figure, this is a sharp shift. In the Altai Republic over the same period the rate fell from 17.3% to 6.0%, after a surge up to 14.0% in 2020.

The story for each region is shown on separate pages. On the page unemployment in Moscow you can see that the capital has stayed at 0.8–1.0% for the second year in a row, and unemployment in Tuva has decreased the most over five years.

What changed in the last year

In the table for 2024–2025 unemployment rose only in two regions: in Krasnoyarsk Krai from 1.5% to 1.9% and in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug from 1.5% to 1.7%. In eight rows the figure did not change, in the remaining 73 it fell. In 2025 across Russia the rate was 2.2% versus 2.5% a year earlier and 3.2% in 2023.

These are annual data. For 2026 there are already monthly estimates, and in them, for example, unemployment rose noticeably in Sverdlovsk Oblast and Moscow. The analysis is in the article unemployment level in 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which region of Russia has the lowest unemployment?

In Moscow: 0.8% in 2025. Followed by Kaluga Oblast, Novgorod Oblast and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, each at 1.0%.

Which region has the highest unemployment?

In the Republic of Ingushetia: 25.5% in 2025. Second is Dagestan with 10.9%, third is North Ossetia with 7.0%.

What is the unemployment rate in Russia in 2025?

2.2% according to Rosstat. In 2024 it was 2.5%, in 2023 it was 3.2%, in 2020 it was 5.8%, in 2000 it was 10.6%.

Why is unemployment higher in the North Caucasus?

Rosstat's table shows the fact, but the reasons are not explained there. It is visible that the okrug is higher than the rest in all years since 2000: 20.4% in 2000, 7.6% in 2025. The dynamics are decreasing.

Does the table contain data for 2022?

No. In Rosstat's regional table there is no column for 2022: after 2021 the next column is 2023. On the graphs the line between these years is straight.

Is unemployment rising in the regions now?

According to annual data for 2025, the decline is almost universal: in 73 regional rows it fell, in two it rose. Monthly data for 2026 show a mixed picture, see more in a separate article.

In Brief

Unemployment in Russia in 2025 is 2.2%, the lowest in a series since 2000, when it was 10.6%. Moscow, Kaluga and Novgorod oblasts stay at the level of 0.8–1.0%. Within the country this is one of the most uneven indicators: Ingushetia at 25.5% is 11.6 times higher than the average, Dagestan at 10.9% also lags noticeably. Over the past five years the fastest declines were shown by Tuva (down 13.5 points), Kabardino-Balkaria and Chechnya (down 11.8). All figures are from Rosstat's labor force surveys.

See Also

• Regional unemployment rankings
• Employment level in Russia by years