Unemployment rate for young people in Iran
Iran: Unemployment rate for young people was 21.9 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
21.9
Change on year
up 2.8%
World rank
39th
of 186 countries
All-time high
29.09
in 2016
All-time low
18.55
in 1996
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate for young people in Iran, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment rate for young people in Iran is 21.9, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.8% on the previous year and down 15.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate for young people in Iran peaked at 29.09 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 18.55, in 1996.
Iran ranks 39th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate for young people in Iran, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 23.01 | — |
| 1992 | 22.14 | -3.8% |
| 1993 | 21.82 | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 21.36 | -2.1% |
| 1995 | 20.16 | -5.6% |
| 1996 | 18.55 | -8.0% |
| 1997 | 19.61 | +5.7% |
| 1998 | 20.78 | +6.0% |
| 1999 | 22.15 | +6.6% |
| 2000 | 23.09 | +4.2% |
| 2001 | 24.28 | +5.2% |
| 2002 | 25.17 | +3.7% |
| 2003 | 22.68 | -9.9% |
| 2004 | 20.35 | -10.3% |
| 2005 | 23.4 | +15.0% |
| 2006 | 23.53 | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 22.35 | -5.0% |
| 2008 | 23.14 | +3.5% |
| 2009 | 24.72 | +6.8% |
| 2010 | 28.7 | +16.1% |
| 2011 | 26.64 | -7.2% |
| 2012 | 26.89 | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 23.87 | -11.2% |
| 2014 | 24.97 | +4.6% |
| 2015 | 25.96 | +4.0% |
| 2016 | 29.09 | +12.0% |
| 2017 | 28.21 | -3.0% |
| 2018 | 27.5 | -2.5% |
| 2019 | 25.95 | -5.7% |
| 2020 | 23.71 | -8.6% |
| 2021 | 23.75 | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 22.69 | -4.5% |
| 2023 | 21.27 | -6.3% |
| 2024 | 21.31 | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 21.9 | +2.8% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 21.9 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.79, 1.4× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Iran's 21.9 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 21.88, 1.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 21.07 | 18.55 | 23.01 | 9 |
| 2000s | 23.27 | 20.35 | 25.17 | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.78 | 23.87 | 29.09 | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.44 | 21.27 | 23.75 | 6 |
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 rate for young people in Iran?
- Unemployment rate for young people in Iran was 21.9 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate for young people recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 29.09 in 2016.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate for young people recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.55 in 1996.
- How does Iran rank for unemployment rate for young people?
- Iran ranks 39th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate for young people rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iran data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate for young people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).