Labor force participation rate by age in Iran
Iran: Labor force participation rate by age was 22.66 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
22.66
Change on year
down 1.0%
World rank
179th
of 188 countries
All-time high
37.97
in 1990
All-time low
21.77
in 2021
Years of data
35
1990–2024
Labor force participation rate by age in Iran, 1990–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Iran recorded 22.66 for labor force participation rate by age in 2024.
That represents a change of down 1.0% on the previous year and down 8.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate by age in Iran peaked at 37.97 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 21.77, in 2021.
Iran ranks 179th of 188 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate by age in Iran, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 37.97 | — |
| 1991 | 37.3 | -1.8% |
| 1992 | 36.11 | -3.2% |
| 1993 | 34.95 | -3.2% |
| 1994 | 33.77 | -3.4% |
| 1995 | 32.54 | -3.7% |
| 1996 | 31.29 | -3.8% |
| 1997 | 31.57 | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 31.86 | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 32.16 | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 32.49 | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 32.85 | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 33.24 | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 33.71 | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 34.25 | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 34.82 | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 33.21 | -4.6% |
| 2007 | 31.54 | -5.0% |
| 2008 | 29 | -8.1% |
| 2009 | 29.59 | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 28.99 | -2.0% |
| 2011 | 26.49 | -8.6% |
| 2012 | 27.41 | +3.5% |
| 2013 | 26.04 | -5.0% |
| 2014 | 24.73 | -5.0% |
| 2015 | 25.06 | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 26.41 | +5.4% |
| 2017 | 27.61 | +4.5% |
| 2018 | 27.22 | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 26.03 | -4.4% |
| 2020 | 22.31 | -14.3% |
| 2021 | 21.77 | -2.4% |
| 2022 | 22.27 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 22.89 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | 22.66 | -1.0% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 22.66 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 38.94, 58% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Iran's 22.66 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 27.51, 82% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 33.95 | 31.29 | 37.97 | 10 |
| 2000s | 32.47 | 29 | 34.82 | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.6 | 24.73 | 28.99 | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.38 | 21.77 | 22.89 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Iran
- 176 Tunisia 23.22 compare
- 177 Yemen 23.2 compare
- 178 Comoros 22.86 compare
- 180 Puerto Rico 21.71 compare
- 181 Sao Tome and Principe 21.3 compare
- 182 Mauritania 20.13 compare
More work & labour data for Iran
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 44,188 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 40.34 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 29,874 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 8.53 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 2.43 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 57,320 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 20,416 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 36.89 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.89 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.574 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate by age in Iran?
- Labor force participation rate by age in Iran was 22.66 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate by age recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 37.97 in 1990.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate by age recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.77 in 2021.
- How does Iran rank for labor force participation rate by age?
- Iran ranks 179th out of 188 countries with data for 2024.
- Is labor force participation rate by age rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iran data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Labor force participation rate by age. 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).