Unemployment with intermediate education in South Asia
South Asia: Unemployment with intermediate education was 5.8% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Unemployment with intermediate education in South Asia, 1994–2024
Source: Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO). Measured in % of total labor force with intermediate education.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment with intermediate education in South Asia is 5.8%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 12 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.3% on the previous year and down 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment with intermediate education in South Asia peaked at 12.3% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 5.8%, in 2024.
That places South Asia 18th out of 20 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.
Unemployment with intermediate education in South Asia, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force with intermediate education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 9.4% | — |
| 2000 | 9.2% | -1.9% |
| 2005 | 8.7% | -5.5% |
| 2010 | 6.5% | -25.1% |
| 2012 | 5.8% | -11.4% |
| 2018 | 12.3% | +112.1% |
| 2019 | 10.3% | -16.4% |
| 2020 | 11.6% | +13.0% |
| 2021 | 9.6% | -17.6% |
| 2022 | 8.0% | -16.2% |
| 2023 | 5.9% | -26.8% |
| 2024 | 5.8% | -1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.4% | 9.4% | 9.4% | 1 |
| 2000s | 9.0% | 8.7% | 9.2% | 2 |
| 2010s | 8.7% | 5.8% | 12.3% | 4 |
| 2020s | 8.2% | 5.8% | 11.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Asia
More work & labour data for South Asia
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 33.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 55.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 19.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 45.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 33.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 35.5% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 42.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 77.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 81.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 59.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment with intermediate education in South Asia?
- Unemployment with intermediate education in South Asia was 5.8% in 2024, according to Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment with intermediate education recorded in South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 12.3% in 2018.
- What is the lowest unemployment with intermediate education recorded in South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.8% in 2024.
- How does South Asia rank for unemployment with intermediate education?
- South Asia ranks 18th out of 20 groups with data for 2024.
- Is unemployment with intermediate education rising or falling in South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Asia data come from?
- The figures come from Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment with intermediate education (% of total labor force with intermediate education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
The percentage of the labor force with an intermediate level of education who are unemployed. Intermediate education comprises upper secondary or post-secondary non tertiary education according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).