Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Iraq

Iraq: Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) was 31.6% in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
31.6%
World rank
8th
of 157 countries
All-time high
31.6%
in 2021
All-time low
14.6%
in 2012
Years of data
6
2007–2021

Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Iraq, 2007–2021

01020302007201420212007: 172012: 14.62014: 172016: 20.12017: 222021: 31.6

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

Analysis

In 2021, unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Iraq stood at 31.6%. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.

The figure is up 115.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Iraq peaked at 31.6% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 14.6%, in 2012.

That places Iraq 8th out of 157 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.

Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Iraq, year by year

Annual values for Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate) in Iraq, 2007 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2007 17.0%
2012 14.6% -14.1%
2014 17.0% +16.0%
2016 20.1% +18.3%
2017 22.0% +9.5%
2021 31.6% +43.6%

Iraq compared with similar countries

  • Iraq's 31.6% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 13.6%, 2.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
  • Iraq's 31.6% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 11.7%, 2.7× the median. (19 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 17.0% 17.0% 17.0% 1
2010s 18.4% 14.6% 22.0% 4
2020s 31.6% 31.6% 31.6% 1

Countries ranked near Iraq

  1. 5 Namibia 37.5% compare
  2. 6 Palestine 37.4% compare
  3. 7 Puerto Rico 34.9% compare
  4. 9 New Caledonia 30.9% compare
  5. 10 North Macedonia 30.3% compare
  6. 11 Bermuda 30.0% compare

See the full ranking of 178 places →

More work & labour data for Iraq

All data for Iraq →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Iraq?
Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Iraq was 31.6% in 2021, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Iraq?
The highest recorded value was 31.6% in 2021.
What is the lowest unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Iraq?
The lowest recorded value was 14.6% in 2012.
How does Iraq rank for unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24)?
Iraq ranks 8th out of 157 countries with data for 2021.
Is unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) rising or falling in Iraq?
Over the last ten years it is up 115.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Iraq data come from?
The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Iraq. Statizoid, drawing on Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/unemployment-youth-male-percent-of-male-labor-force-ages-15-24-national-estimate/iraq/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/unemployment-youth-male-percent-of-male-labor-force-ages-15-24-national-estimate/iraq/">Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Iraq</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate)
Source
Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
178 places, 4,082 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.