Unemployment rate in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Unemployment rate was 3.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment rate in Saudi Arabia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Saudi Arabia recorded 3.0% for unemployment rate in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of down 13.6% on the previous year and down 45.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Saudi Arabia peaked at 7.7% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 3.0%, in 2025.
Saudi Arabia ranks 146th of 186 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.1% | 4.3% | 7.3% | 9 |
| 2000s | 5.4% | 4.6% | 6.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.7% | 5.5% | 6.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.1% | 3.0% | 7.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More work & labour data for Saudi Arabia
- Criminal sanctions or compensation for workplace sexual harassment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 31.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 65.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 83.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 16.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 43.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-6 66.5% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 40.3% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in Saudi Arabia?
- Unemployment rate in Saudi Arabia was 3.0% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 7.7% in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.0% in 2025.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for unemployment rate?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 146th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 45.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon.