Unemployment rate for young people in Iraq
Iraq: Unemployment rate for young people was 32.01 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
32.01
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
19th
of 186 countries
All-time high
35.65
in 2021
All-time low
15.21
in 1994
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate for young people in Iraq, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment rate for young people in Iraq is 32.01, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 49.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate for young people in Iraq peaked at 35.65 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 15.21, in 1994.
That places Iraq 19th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate for young people in Iraq, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 15.71 | — |
| 1992 | 15.31 | -2.5% |
| 1993 | 15.37 | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 15.21 | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 15.58 | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 15.77 | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 15.47 | -1.9% |
| 1998 | 15.29 | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 15.29 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 15.51 | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 15.96 | +2.9% |
| 2002 | 16.64 | +4.3% |
| 2003 | 17.27 | +3.8% |
| 2004 | 17.02 | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 16.91 | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 16.76 | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 17.21 | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 16.91 | -1.7% |
| 2009 | 16.82 | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 16.58 | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 16.45 | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 16.09 | -2.2% |
| 2013 | 17.91 | +11.3% |
| 2014 | 19.91 | +11.1% |
| 2015 | 21.39 | +7.4% |
| 2016 | 22.45 | +5.0% |
| 2017 | 25.28 | +12.6% |
| 2018 | 27.34 | +8.2% |
| 2019 | 29.75 | +8.8% |
| 2020 | 34.45 | +15.8% |
| 2021 | 35.65 | +3.5% |
| 2022 | 31.79 | -10.8% |
| 2023 | 31.51 | -0.9% |
| 2024 | 31.73 | +0.7% |
| 2025 | 32.01 | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15.45 | 15.21 | 15.77 | 9 |
| 2000s | 16.7 | 15.51 | 17.27 | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.31 | 16.09 | 29.75 | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.86 | 31.51 | 35.65 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
- 16 New Caledonia 33.11 compare
- 17 Syrian Arab Republic 33.1 compare
- 18 Yemen 32.6 compare
- 20 Georgia 30.26 compare
- 21 Algeria 29.44 compare
- 22 North Macedonia 28.75 compare
More work & labour data for Iraq
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.1891 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.1939 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.1833 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.2038 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.31 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 65,560 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 15,931 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 50,009 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 50,640 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 100,649 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate for young people in Iraq?
- Unemployment rate for young people in Iraq was 32.01 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate for young people recorded in Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 35.65 in 2021.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate for young people recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.21 in 1994.
- How does Iraq rank for unemployment rate for young people?
- Iraq ranks 19th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate for young people rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is up 49.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iraq 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).