Unemployment rate in Iran
Iran: Unemployment rate was 8.3 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
8.3
Change on year
up 1.9%
World rank
54th
of 186 countries
All-time high
13.68
in 2010
All-time low
8.13
in 2023
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in Iran, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate in Iran stood at 8.3.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.9% on the previous year and down 25.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Iran peaked at 13.68 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 8.13, in 2023.
Iran ranks 54th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Iran, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 11.1 | — |
| 1992 | 10.65 | -4.0% |
| 1993 | 10.57 | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 10.46 | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 9.9 | -5.3% |
| 1996 | 9.1 | -8.1% |
| 1997 | 9.68 | +6.4% |
| 1998 | 10.36 | +7.0% |
| 1999 | 11.18 | +7.9% |
| 2000 | 11.7 | +4.7% |
| 2001 | 12.36 | +5.7% |
| 2002 | 12.8 | +3.5% |
| 2003 | 11.53 | -9.9% |
| 2004 | 10.3 | -10.7% |
| 2005 | 11.81 | +14.7% |
| 2006 | 11.52 | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 10.77 | -6.5% |
| 2008 | 10.63 | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 12.11 | +14.0% |
| 2010 | 13.68 | +12.9% |
| 2011 | 12.49 | -8.7% |
| 2012 | 12.28 | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 10.6 | -13.7% |
| 2014 | 10.68 | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 11.17 | +4.6% |
| 2016 | 12.62 | +13.0% |
| 2017 | 12.23 | -3.1% |
| 2018 | 12.2 | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 10.74 | -11.9% |
| 2020 | 9.69 | -9.8% |
| 2021 | 9.28 | -4.2% |
| 2022 | 9.09 | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 8.13 | -10.5% |
| 2024 | 8.15 | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 8.3 | +1.9% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 8.3 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.63, 1.5× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Iran's 8.3 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 9, 92% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 10.33 | 9.1 | 11.18 | 9 |
| 2000s | 11.55 | 10.3 | 12.8 | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.87 | 10.6 | 13.68 | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.77 | 8.13 | 9.69 | 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 in Iran?
- Unemployment rate in Iran was 8.3 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 13.68 in 2010.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.13 in 2023.
- How does Iran rank for unemployment rate?
- Iran ranks 54th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iran 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).