Employment to population ratio in Iraq
Iraq: Employment to population ratio was 35.1 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
35.1
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
176th
of 186 countries
All-time high
38.87
in 1994
All-time low
33.25
in 2021
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Employment to population ratio in Iraq, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, employment to population ratio in Iraq stood at 35.1.
The figure is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 8.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment to population ratio in Iraq peaked at 38.87 in 1994 and was at its lowest, 33.25, in 2021.
Iraq ranks 176th of 186 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Employment to population ratio in Iraq, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 38.78 | — |
| 1992 | 38.84 | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 38.82 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 38.87 | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 38.76 | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 38.71 | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 38.77 | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 38.8 | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 38.79 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 38.71 | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 38.57 | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 38.37 | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 38.17 | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 38.23 | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 38.24 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 38.26 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 38.11 | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 38.05 | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 37.94 | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 37.87 | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 37.76 | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 37.72 | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 38.09 | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 38.38 | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 38.36 | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 38.48 | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 36.44 | -5.3% |
| 2018 | 35.69 | -2.0% |
| 2019 | 34.81 | -2.5% |
| 2020 | 33.95 | -2.5% |
| 2021 | 33.25 | -2.1% |
| 2022 | 35.09 | +5.5% |
| 2023 | 35.28 | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 35.2 | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 35.1 | -0.3% |
Iraq compared with similar countries
- Iraq's 35.1 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 55.68, 63% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Iraq's 35.1 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 38.97, 90% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 38.79 | 38.71 | 38.87 | 9 |
| 2000s | 38.26 | 37.94 | 38.71 | 10 |
| 2010s | 37.36 | 34.81 | 38.48 | 10 |
| 2020s | 34.65 | 33.25 | 35.28 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
More work & labour data for Iraq
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.1891 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.1939 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.1833 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.2038 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.31 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 65,560 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 15,931 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 50,009 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 50,640 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 100,649 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment to population ratio in Iraq?
- Employment to population ratio in Iraq was 35.1 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment to population ratio recorded in Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 38.87 in 1994.
- What is the lowest employment to population ratio recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.25 in 2021.
- How does Iraq rank for employment to population ratio?
- Iraq ranks 176th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment to population ratio rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iraq data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Employment to population ratio. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).