Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) in Turkey
Turkey: Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) was 6.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Turkey, 1982–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Turkey is 6.8%, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 3.9% on the previous year and down 26.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Turkey peaked at 13.9% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 6.1%, in 1997.
That places Turkey 54th out of 181 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) in Turkey, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 8.9% | — |
| 1983 | 10.1% | +12.7% |
| 1984 | 8.9% | -11.3% |
| 1985 | 11.3% | +25.8% |
| 1988 | 7.3% | -35.2% |
| 1989 | 8.0% | +9.3% |
| 1990 | 7.8% | -2.2% |
| 1991 | 8.5% | +8.9% |
| 1992 | 8.3% | -2.2% |
| 1993 | 8.1% | -2.6% |
| 1994 | 8.4% | +3.5% |
| 1995 | 7.4% | -11.8% |
| 1996 | 6.5% | -11.3% |
| 1997 | 6.1% | -6.2% |
| 1998 | 6.6% | +7.4% |
| 1999 | 7.5% | +13.9% |
| 2000 | 6.6% | -12.4% |
| 2001 | 8.7% | +32.5% |
| 2002 | 10.7% | +22.9% |
| 2003 | 10.7% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 10.8% | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 10.4% | -3.1% |
| 2006 | 9.9% | -5.1% |
| 2007 | 10.0% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 10.7% | +7.0% |
| 2009 | 13.9% | +29.6% |
| 2010 | 11.4% | -17.8% |
| 2011 | 9.2% | -19.8% |
| 2012 | 8.5% | -6.9% |
| 2013 | 8.7% | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 9.0% | +3.3% |
| 2015 | 9.2% | +2.3% |
| 2016 | 9.6% | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 9.4% | -1.9% |
| 2018 | 9.5% | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 12.4% | +29.7% |
| 2020 | 12.3% | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 10.7% | -13.3% |
| 2022 | 8.9% | -16.2% |
| 2023 | 7.7% | -14.3% |
| 2024 | 7.1% | -7.2% |
| 2025 | 6.8% | -3.9% |
Turkey compared with similar countries
- Turkey's 6.8% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.4%, 1.3× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Turkey's 6.8% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5.4%, 1.3× the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 9.1% | 7.3% | 11.3% | 6 |
| 1990s | 7.5% | 6.1% | 8.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.3% | 6.6% | 13.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.7% | 8.5% | 12.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.9% | 6.8% | 12.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Turkey
More work & labour data for Turkey
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 31,966 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 54.63 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 38,497 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 8.78 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.51 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 95,928 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 41,171 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 49.84 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 0.6505 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 1.11 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Turkey?
- Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Turkey was 6.8% 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 Turkey?
- The highest recorded value was 13.9% in 2009.
- What is the lowest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Turkey?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.1% in 1997.
- How does Turkey rank for unemployment, male (% of male labor force)?
- Turkey ranks 54th out of 181 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) rising or falling in Turkey?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Turkey 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.
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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.