Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in South Asia
South Asia: Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) was 4.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in South Asia, 1994–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in South Asia stood at 4.6%.
The figure is up 10.0% on the previous year and up 49.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in South Asia peaked at 8.2% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2.4%, in 1994.
That places South Asia 17th out of 24 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in South Asia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 2.4% | — |
| 2000 | 2.9% | +24.2% |
| 2005 | 3.7% | +26.1% |
| 2010 | 2.9% | -21.8% |
| 2012 | 3.0% | +5.2% |
| 2018 | 7.6% | +148.5% |
| 2019 | 6.6% | -12.7% |
| 2020 | 8.2% | +23.8% |
| 2021 | 6.7% | -18.2% |
| 2022 | 4.8% | -27.5% |
| 2023 | 4.1% | -14.7% |
| 2024 | 4.1% | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 4.6% | +10.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 1 |
| 2000s | 3.3% | 2.9% | 3.7% | 2 |
| 2010s | 5.0% | 2.9% | 7.6% | 4 |
| 2020s | 5.4% | 4.1% | 8.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Asia
More work & labour data for South Asia
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 33.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 77.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 55.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 19.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 45.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 33.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 59.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 35.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 81.2% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 42.6% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in South Asia?
- Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in South Asia was 4.6% 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 South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 8.2% in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.4% in 1994.
- How does South Asia rank for unemployment, male (% of male labor force)?
- South Asia ranks 17th out of 24 groups with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) rising or falling in South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 49.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Asia 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 — 13 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.