Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) was 2.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Saudi Arabia, 1992–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Saudi Arabia stood at 2.1%.
That represents a change of up 10.0% on the previous year and down 13.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Saudi Arabia peaked at 7.4% in 1992 and was at its lowest, 1.9%, in 2024.
Saudi Arabia ranks 157th of 181 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 7.4% | — |
| 1999 | 3.7% | -50.4% |
| 2000 | 3.8% | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 3.9% | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 4.2% | +8.8% |
| 2003 | 4.4% | +3.5% |
| 2004 | 4.5% | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 4.6% | +2.5% |
| 2006 | 4.7% | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 4.2% | -10.6% |
| 2008 | 3.5% | -15.8% |
| 2009 | 3.5% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 3.5% | -2.2% |
| 2012 | 2.9% | -15.2% |
| 2013 | 2.8% | -4.2% |
| 2014 | 2.9% | +2.3% |
| 2015 | 2.4% | -16.2% |
| 2016 | 2.5% | +4.2% |
| 2017 | 3.2% | +29.0% |
| 2018 | 3.2% | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 2.5% | -23.6% |
| 2020 | 3.9% | +57.1% |
| 2021 | 3.5% | -10.7% |
| 2022 | 2.6% | -24.0% |
| 2023 | 2.1% | -21.0% |
| 2024 | 1.9% | -9.0% |
| 2025 | 2.1% | +10.0% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 2.1% is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.9%, 42% of the median. (75 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 2.1% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 5.8%, 36% of the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5.6% | 3.7% | 7.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 4.1% | 3.5% | 4.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.9% | 2.4% | 3.5% | 9 |
| 2020s | 2.7% | 1.9% | 3.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More work & labour data for Saudi Arabia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.6339 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.5946 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.6842 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.31 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.5985 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 40,709 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 4,348 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 31,198 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 39,809 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 71,007 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Saudi Arabia?
- Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Saudi Arabia was 2.1% 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 Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 7.4% in 1992.
- What is the lowest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.9% in 2024.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for unemployment, male (% of male labor force)?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 157th out of 181 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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 — 27 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.