Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Iran, Islamic Republic of
Iran, Islamic Republic of: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 7.6% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Iran, Islamic Republic of, 1986–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Iran, Islamic Republic of recorded 7.6% for unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 6.1% on the previous year and down 28.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Iran, Islamic Republic of peaked at 14.2% in 1986 and was at its lowest, 7.6%, in 2024.
That places Iran, Islamic Republic of 58th out of 187 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Iran, Islamic Republic of, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 14.2% | — |
| 1991 | 11.1% | -21.8% |
| 1996 | 9.1% | -18.0% |
| 2002 | 12.8% | +40.7% |
| 2004 | 10.3% | -19.5% |
| 2005 | 11.8% | +14.7% |
| 2006 | 11.5% | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 10.8% | -6.5% |
| 2008 | 10.6% | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 12.1% | +14.0% |
| 2010 | 13.7% | +12.9% |
| 2011 | 12.5% | -8.7% |
| 2012 | 12.3% | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 10.6% | -13.7% |
| 2014 | 10.7% | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 11.2% | +4.6% |
| 2016 | 12.6% | +13.0% |
| 2017 | 12.2% | -3.1% |
| 2018 | 12.2% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 10.7% | -11.9% |
| 2020 | 9.7% | -9.8% |
| 2021 | 9.3% | -4.2% |
| 2022 | 9.1% | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 8.1% | -10.5% |
| 2024 | 7.6% | -6.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 14.2% | 14.2% | 14.2% | 1 |
| 1990s | 10.1% | 9.1% | 11.1% | 2 |
| 2000s | 11.4% | 10.3% | 12.8% | 7 |
| 2010s | 11.9% | 10.6% | 13.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.8% | 7.6% | 9.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Iran, Islamic Republic of
More work & labour data for Iran, Islamic Republic of
- 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, total (% of total labor force) in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Iran, Islamic Republic of was 7.6% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- The highest recorded value was 14.2% in 1986.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.6% in 2024.
- How does Iran, Islamic Republic of rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 58th out of 187 countries with data for 2024.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iran, Islamic Republic of data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.