Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) in Iran
Iran: Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) was 6.2% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Iran, 1986–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2024, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Iran stood at 6.2%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.6% on the previous year and down 30.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Iran peaked at 12.9% in 1986 and was at its lowest, 6.2%, in 2024.
Iran ranks 62nd of 181 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) in Iran, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 12.9% | — |
| 1991 | 9.5% | -26.4% |
| 1996 | 8.5% | -10.5% |
| 2002 | 11.2% | +31.8% |
| 2004 | 9.8% | -12.5% |
| 2005 | 10.3% | +5.2% |
| 2006 | 10.3% | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 9.5% | -7.5% |
| 2008 | 9.3% | -2.3% |
| 2009 | 11.0% | +18.6% |
| 2010 | 12.1% | +10.1% |
| 2011 | 10.7% | -11.4% |
| 2012 | 10.6% | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 8.7% | -17.3% |
| 2014 | 8.9% | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 9.4% | +5.5% |
| 2016 | 10.7% | +13.7% |
| 2017 | 10.3% | -3.3% |
| 2018 | 10.5% | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 9.1% | -13.4% |
| 2020 | 8.5% | -7.0% |
| 2021 | 8.0% | -5.9% |
| 2022 | 7.7% | -3.0% |
| 2023 | 6.7% | -13.6% |
| 2024 | 6.2% | -6.6% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 6.2% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.4%, 1.2× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Iran's 6.2% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 5.8%, 1.1× the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 12.9% | 12.9% | 12.9% | 1 |
| 1990s | 9.0% | 8.5% | 9.5% | 2 |
| 2000s | 10.2% | 9.3% | 11.2% | 7 |
| 2010s | 10.1% | 8.7% | 12.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.4% | 6.2% | 8.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Iran
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 unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Iran?
- Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Iran was 6.2% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 12.9% in 1986.
- What is the lowest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.2% in 2024.
- How does Iran rank for unemployment, male (% of male labor force)?
- Iran ranks 62nd out of 181 countries with data for 2024.
- Is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iran data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.