Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Pakistan
Pakistan: Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) was 5.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Pakistan, 1979–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Pakistan recorded 5.9% for unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 112.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Pakistan peaked at 6.2% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 2008.
Pakistan ranks 74th of 181 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 43 years of available data.
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 3.3% | — |
| 1980 | 3.2% | -2.7% |
| 1981 | 3.2% | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 3.2% | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 4.5% | +41.4% |
| 1984 | 4.4% | -2.9% |
| 1985 | 4.2% | -4.5% |
| 1986 | 4.2% | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 3.3% | -20.0% |
| 1988 | 2.9% | -12.7% |
| 1989 | 2.7% | -6.2% |
| 1990 | 2.8% | +2.9% |
| 1991 | 4.5% | +61.3% |
| 1992 | 4.3% | -5.9% |
| 1993 | 3.8% | -11.9% |
| 1994 | 3.9% | +3.7% |
| 1995 | 3.7% | -4.8% |
| 1996 | 3.6% | -2.8% |
| 1997 | 3.9% | +8.3% |
| 1998 | 4.1% | +4.5% |
| 1999 | 3.9% | -5.7% |
| 2000 | 5.5% | +43.8% |
| 2001 | 5.3% | -4.3% |
| 2002 | 6.2% | +17.6% |
| 2003 | 6.0% | -3.9% |
| 2004 | 6.2% | +3.8% |
| 2005 | 6.0% | -4.3% |
| 2006 | 0.6% | -89.2% |
| 2007 | 0.4% | -32.4% |
| 2008 | 0.4% | -8.8% |
| 2009 | 0.6% | +46.5% |
| 2010 | 0.7% | +13.1% |
| 2011 | 0.8% | +26.7% |
| 2012 | 3.6% | +337.7% |
| 2013 | 2.8% | -22.4% |
| 2014 | 1.8% | -37.2% |
| 2015 | 2.8% | +57.7% |
| 2016 | 2.2% | -23.0% |
| 2018 | 4.0% | +83.8% |
| 2019 | 4.4% | +11.5% |
| 2020 | 5.4% | +22.0% |
| 2021 | 5.5% | +2.1% |
| 2025 | 5.9% | +8.4% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 5.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.8%, 1.6× the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 5.9% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 5.8%, 1.0× the median. (20 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Pakistan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | +337.7% | 0.8% | 3.6% |
| 2006 | -89.2% | 6.0% | 0.6% |
| 2018 | +83.8% | 2.2% | 4.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.3% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 1 |
| 1980s | 3.6% | 2.7% | 4.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.8% | 2.8% | 4.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.7% | 0.4% | 6.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.6% | 0.7% | 4.4% | 9 |
| 2020s | 5.6% | 5.4% | 5.9% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More work & labour data for Pakistan
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.1692 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.1658 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.1724 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.4553 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.11 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 160,228 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 146,712 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 259,090 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 251,911 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 511,001 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Pakistan?
- Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Pakistan was 5.9% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 6.2% in 2002.
- What is the lowest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 2008.
- How does Pakistan rank for unemployment, male (% of male labor force)?
- Pakistan ranks 74th out of 181 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 112.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Pakistan 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 — 43 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.