Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) was 28.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Afghanistan, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Afghanistan stood at 28.5%.
That represents a change of down 4.1% on the previous year and up 77.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Afghanistan peaked at 30.2% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 13.4%, in 2014.
That places Afghanistan 35th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 13.8% | — |
| 1992 | 13.8% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 13.8% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 13.8% | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 13.8% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 13.8% | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 13.9% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 13.9% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 13.9% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 14.0% | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 14.1% | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 14.0% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 13.9% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 13.9% | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 13.9% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 13.9% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 13.8% | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 13.8% | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 13.6% | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 13.5% | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 13.5% | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 13.5% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 13.5% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 13.4% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 16.0% | +19.9% |
| 2016 | 18.6% | +16.1% |
| 2017 | 21.2% | +13.7% |
| 2018 | 20.6% | -2.8% |
| 2019 | 20.0% | -2.6% |
| 2020 | 21.2% | +6.1% |
| 2021 | 21.2% | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 30.2% | +42.3% |
| 2023 | 30.1% | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 29.7% | -1.4% |
| 2025 | 28.5% | -4.1% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 28.5% is above the median for low income countries, which is 8.4%, 3.4× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 28.5% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 29.5%, 97% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Afghanistan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +42.3% | 21.2% | 30.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13.8% | 13.8% | 13.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 13.9% | 13.6% | 14.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.4% | 13.4% | 21.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.8% | 21.2% | 30.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More work & labour data for Afghanistan
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.4637 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.4511 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.4755 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.088 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.67 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 25,498 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 36,430 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 65,039 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 65,177 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 130,217 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Afghanistan?
- Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Afghanistan was 28.5% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 30.2% in 2022.
- What is the lowest unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.4% in 2014.
- How does Afghanistan rank for unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24)?
- Afghanistan ranks 35th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 77.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment.