Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) was 9.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Bangladesh, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Bangladesh stood at 9.4%.
That represents a change of up 3.2% on the previous year and down 11.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Bangladesh peaked at 13.5% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 6.0%, in 1991.
That places Bangladesh 124th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 6.0% | — |
| 1992 | 6.1% | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 6.3% | +2.6% |
| 1994 | 6.4% | +1.9% |
| 1995 | 6.5% | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 6.7% | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 7.4% | +11.3% |
| 1998 | 8.2% | +10.5% |
| 1999 | 9.0% | +9.6% |
| 2000 | 9.7% | +8.7% |
| 2001 | 8.8% | -9.5% |
| 2002 | 7.8% | -11.8% |
| 2003 | 6.6% | -15.1% |
| 2004 | 7.8% | +17.4% |
| 2005 | 8.8% | +13.3% |
| 2006 | 7.3% | -17.5% |
| 2007 | 8.0% | +10.6% |
| 2008 | 8.8% | +9.6% |
| 2009 | 9.6% | +8.7% |
| 2010 | 6.3% | -34.2% |
| 2011 | 7.4% | +18.1% |
| 2012 | 8.5% | +14.9% |
| 2013 | 9.7% | +13.3% |
| 2014 | 10.1% | +4.6% |
| 2015 | 10.6% | +4.3% |
| 2016 | 11.0% | +3.7% |
| 2017 | 12.1% | +10.5% |
| 2018 | 11.9% | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 11.7% | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 13.5% | +14.7% |
| 2021 | 12.7% | -5.6% |
| 2022 | 11.0% | -13.6% |
| 2023 | 7.9% | -28.0% |
| 2024 | 9.1% | +15.1% |
| 2025 | 9.4% | +3.2% |
Bangladesh compared with similar countries
- Bangladesh's 9.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 10.1%, 93% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Bangladesh's 9.4% is below the median for South Asia, which is 16.5%, 57% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.9% | 6.0% | 9.0% | 9 |
| 2000s | 8.3% | 6.6% | 9.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.9% | 6.3% | 12.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.6% | 7.9% | 13.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
More work & labour data for Bangladesh
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.4985 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.4763 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.5215 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.28 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.22 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 117,837 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 84,090 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 104,333 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 104,263 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 208,597 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Bangladesh?
- Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Bangladesh was 9.4% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 13.5% in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.0% in 1991.
- How does Bangladesh rank for unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24)?
- Bangladesh ranks 124th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, youth total (% of total 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.