Male labor participation rate in Iran
Iran: Male labor participation rate was 67.24 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
67.24
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
120th
of 186 countries
All-time high
82.52
in 1990
All-time low
66.7
in 2011
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Male labor participation rate in Iran, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, male labor participation rate in Iran stood at 67.24.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, male labor participation rate in Iran peaked at 82.52 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 66.7, in 2011.
That places Iran 120th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Male labor participation rate in Iran, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 82.52 | — |
| 1991 | 81.71 | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 80.72 | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 79.63 | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 78.42 | -1.5% |
| 1995 | 77.11 | -1.7% |
| 1996 | 75.72 | -1.8% |
| 1997 | 75.17 | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 74.6 | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 74.07 | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 73.6 | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 73.21 | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 72.87 | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 72.64 | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 72.55 | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 72.52 | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 71.37 | -1.6% |
| 2007 | 70.65 | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 68.63 | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 69.3 | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 68.45 | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 66.7 | -2.6% |
| 2012 | 67.75 | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 68.04 | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 67.87 | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 68.63 | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 69.3 | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 70.27 | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 70.61 | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 70.43 | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 68.19 | -3.2% |
| 2021 | 68.21 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 66.92 | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 68.18 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 67.69 | -0.7% |
| 2025 | 67.24 | -0.7% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 67.24 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 71.64, 94% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Iran's 67.24 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 69.76, 96% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 77.97 | 74.07 | 82.52 | 10 |
| 2000s | 71.73 | 68.63 | 73.6 | 10 |
| 2010s | 68.81 | 66.7 | 70.61 | 10 |
| 2020s | 67.74 | 66.92 | 68.21 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iran
- 117 Hungary 67.51 compare
- 118 Malawi 67.34 compare
- 119 Equatorial Guinea 67.24 compare
- 121 United States 67.06 compare
- 122 Lesotho 66.92 compare
- 123 Democratic Republic of Congo 66.85 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 male labor participation rate in Iran?
- Male labor participation rate in Iran was 67.24 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest male labor participation rate recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 82.52 in 1990.
- What is the lowest male labor participation rate recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 66.7 in 2011.
- How does Iran rank for male labor participation rate?
- Iran ranks 120th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is male labor participation rate rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.0%. 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 Male labor participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).