Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Iran
Iran: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) was 22.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Iran, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Iran recorded 22.5% for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Iran peaked at 38.0% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 21.8%, in 2021.
Iran ranks 177th of 186 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Iran, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 38.0% | — |
| 1991 | 37.3% | -1.8% |
| 1992 | 36.1% | -3.2% |
| 1993 | 35.0% | -3.2% |
| 1994 | 33.8% | -3.4% |
| 1995 | 32.5% | -3.7% |
| 1996 | 31.3% | -3.8% |
| 1997 | 31.6% | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 31.9% | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 32.2% | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 32.5% | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 32.8% | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 33.2% | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 33.7% | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 34.3% | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 34.8% | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 33.2% | -4.6% |
| 2007 | 31.5% | -5.0% |
| 2008 | 29.0% | -8.1% |
| 2009 | 29.6% | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 29.0% | -2.0% |
| 2011 | 26.5% | -8.6% |
| 2012 | 27.4% | +3.5% |
| 2013 | 26.0% | -5.0% |
| 2014 | 24.7% | -5.0% |
| 2015 | 25.1% | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 26.4% | +5.4% |
| 2017 | 27.6% | +4.5% |
| 2018 | 27.2% | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 26.0% | -4.4% |
| 2020 | 22.3% | -14.3% |
| 2021 | 21.8% | -2.4% |
| 2022 | 22.3% | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 22.9% | +2.8% |
| 2024 | 22.7% | -1.0% |
| 2025 | 22.5% | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 34.0% | 31.3% | 38.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 32.5% | 29.0% | 34.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.6% | 24.7% | 29.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.4% | 21.8% | 22.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iran
- 174 Yemen 23.2% compare
- 175 Egypt 23.1% compare
- 176 Comoros 23.1% compare
- 178 Puerto Rico 21.7% compare
- 179 Sao Tome and Principe 21.2% compare
- 180 Mauritania 20.1% 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)
- 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)
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 0 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Criminal sanctions or compensation for workplace sexual harassment 0 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Women can take the same jobs as men 0 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 41.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Iran?
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Iran was 22.5% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 38.0% in 1990.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.8% in 2021.
- How does Iran rank for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%)?
- Iran ranks 177th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iran data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24 is the proportion of the population ages 15-24 that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.