Unemployment rate in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Unemployment rate was 3.78 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
3.78
Change on year
up 3.9%
World rank
122nd
of 186 countries
All-time high
5.54
in 2020
All-time low
2.2
in 1991
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in Bangladesh, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment rate in Bangladesh is 3.78, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.9% on the previous year and down 14.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Bangladesh peaked at 5.54 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2.2, in 1991.
That places Bangladesh 122nd out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2.2 | — |
| 1992 | 2.23 | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 2.31 | +3.4% |
| 1994 | 2.37 | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 2.44 | +3.0% |
| 1996 | 2.51 | +2.8% |
| 1997 | 2.7 | +7.5% |
| 1998 | 2.89 | +7.2% |
| 1999 | 3.09 | +6.7% |
| 2000 | 3.27 | +5.9% |
| 2001 | 3.61 | +10.4% |
| 2002 | 3.97 | +9.9% |
| 2003 | 4.32 | +8.9% |
| 2004 | 4.32 | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 4.25 | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 3.59 | -15.5% |
| 2007 | 4.01 | +11.8% |
| 2008 | 4.49 | +11.8% |
| 2009 | 5 | +11.4% |
| 2010 | 3.38 | -32.4% |
| 2011 | 3.74 | +10.6% |
| 2012 | 4.07 | +8.9% |
| 2013 | 4.43 | +8.7% |
| 2014 | 4.42 | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 4.4 | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 4.35 | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 4.37 | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 4.44 | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 4.5 | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 5.54 | +23.0% |
| 2021 | 5.46 | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 4.59 | -15.8% |
| 2023 | 3.35 | -27.0% |
| 2024 | 3.63 | +8.4% |
| 2025 | 3.78 | +3.9% |
Bangladesh compared with similar countries
- Bangladesh's 3.78 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.06, 75% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Bangladesh's 3.78 is below the median for South Asia, which is 4.11, 92% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.53 | 2.2 | 3.09 | 9 |
| 2000s | 4.08 | 3.27 | 5 | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.21 | 3.38 | 4.5 | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.39 | 3.35 | 5.54 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
More work & labour data for Bangladesh
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.4985 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.4763 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.5215 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.28 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.22 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 117,837 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 84,090 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 104,333 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 104,263 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 208,597 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in Bangladesh?
- Unemployment rate in Bangladesh was 3.78 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 5.54 in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.2 in 1991.
- How does Bangladesh rank for unemployment rate?
- Bangladesh ranks 122nd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate. 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).