Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Syrian Arab Republic

Syrian Arab Republic: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 14.9% in 2011. ▲ Rising

Latest (2011)
14.9%
Change on year
up 72.9%
World rank
13th
of 187 countries
All-time high
14.9%
in 2011
All-time low
0.0%
in 1997
Years of data
29
1969–2011

Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Syrian Arab Republic, 1969–2011

0510151969199020111969: 4.31970: 6.41971: 7.51972: 4.71973: 4.51974: 5.11975: 4.81976: 6.21977: 51978: 4.51979: 3.81983: 4.21984: 4.71989: 5.81991: 6.81993: 7.41994: 7.51995: 7.21997: 01999: 7.62001: 11.62002: 11.72003: 10.32006: 8.22007: 8.42008: 10.92009: 8.12010: 8.62011: 14.9

Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).

Analysis

Syrian Arab Republic recorded 14.9% for unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in 2011. That is the highest value across all 29 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 72.9% on the previous year and up 28.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Syrian Arab Republic peaked at 14.9% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1997.

That places Syrian Arab Republic 13th out of 187 countries with data for 2011, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.

Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Syrian Arab Republic, year by year

Annual values for Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate) in Syrian Arab Republic, 1969 to 2011.
Year Value Change
1969 4.3%
1970 6.4% +48.8%
1971 7.5% +17.2%
1972 4.7% -37.3%
1973 4.5% -4.3%
1974 5.1% +13.3%
1975 4.8% -5.6%
1976 6.2% +28.8%
1977 5.0% -19.4%
1978 4.5% -10.0%
1979 3.8% -15.6%
1983 4.2% +11.5%
1984 4.7% +11.0%
1989 5.8% +22.9%
1991 6.8% +16.8%
1993 7.4% +9.6%
1994 7.5% +1.4%
1995 7.2% -4.0%
1997 0.0% -100.0%
1999 7.6%
2001 11.6% +53.0%
2002 11.7% +0.5%
2003 10.3% -12.0%
2006 8.2% -20.5%
2007 8.4% +3.1%
2008 10.9% +29.9%
2009 8.1% -25.6%
2010 8.6% +5.8%
2011 14.9% +72.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 4.3% 4.3% 4.3% 1
1970s 5.3% 3.8% 7.5% 10
1980s 4.9% 4.2% 5.8% 3
1990s 6.1% 0.0% 7.6% 6
2000s 9.9% 8.1% 11.7% 7
2010s 11.8% 8.6% 14.9% 2

Countries ranked near Syrian Arab Republic

  1. 10 Iraq 16.2% compare
  2. 11 Malawi 15.4% compare
  3. 12 Tunisia 15.1% compare
  4. 14 Guyana 14.7% compare
  5. 15 Haiti 14.1% compare
  6. 16 Yemen 13.5% compare

See the full ranking of 220 places →

More work & labour data for Syrian Arab Republic

All data for Syrian Arab Republic →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Syrian Arab Republic?
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Syrian Arab Republic was 14.9% in 2011, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Syrian Arab Republic?
The highest recorded value was 14.9% in 2011.
What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Syrian Arab Republic?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1997.
How does Syrian Arab Republic rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
Syrian Arab Republic ranks 13th out of 187 countries with data for 2011.
Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Syrian Arab Republic?
Over the last ten years it is up 28.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Syrian Arab Republic 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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Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Syrian Arab Republic. Statizoid, drawing on Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/unemployment-total-percent-of-total-labor-force-national-estimate/syrian-arab-republic/

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About this data

Indicator
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate)
Source
Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
220 places, 6,054 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

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.