Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan: Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) was 28.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan stood at 28.3%.
The figure is up 1.0% on the previous year and down 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan peaked at 33.0% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 19.0%, in 1996.
That places Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 4th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 20.7% | — |
| 1992 | 19.4% | -6.5% |
| 1993 | 20.8% | +7.4% |
| 1994 | 21.1% | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 21.6% | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 19.0% | -11.7% |
| 1997 | 19.8% | +3.7% |
| 1998 | 20.3% | +2.6% |
| 1999 | 20.1% | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 22.6% | +12.4% |
| 2001 | 23.3% | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 22.5% | -3.7% |
| 2003 | 21.9% | -2.4% |
| 2004 | 22.0% | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 22.8% | +3.5% |
| 2006 | 22.9% | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 22.1% | -3.6% |
| 2008 | 23.8% | +7.6% |
| 2009 | 23.5% | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 25.1% | +7.0% |
| 2011 | 25.2% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 27.2% | +7.9% |
| 2013 | 27.5% | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 26.9% | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 28.5% | +5.7% |
| 2016 | 26.5% | -7.0% |
| 2017 | 28.8% | +9.0% |
| 2018 | 30.3% | +5.2% |
| 2019 | 30.5% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 33.0% | +7.9% |
| 2021 | 31.1% | -5.6% |
| 2022 | 28.6% | -8.0% |
| 2023 | 27.6% | -3.4% |
| 2024 | 28.0% | +1.2% |
| 2025 | 28.3% | +1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 20.3% | 19.0% | 21.6% | 9 |
| 2000s | 22.7% | 21.9% | 23.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.7% | 25.1% | 30.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.4% | 27.6% | 33.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
More work & labour data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 19.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 73.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 47.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 14.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 50.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 32.6% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 29.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 50.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 21.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 76.9% (2025)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan →
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan was 28.3% 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 33.0% in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.0% in 1996.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan rank for unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24)?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 4th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 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.
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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.