Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Iran, Islamic Republic of
Iran, Islamic Republic of: Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) was 21.9% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Iran, Islamic Republic of, 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 Iran, Islamic Republic of stood at 21.9%.
That represents a change of up 2.8% on the previous year and down 15.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Iran, Islamic Republic of peaked at 29.1% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 18.6%, in 1996.
Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 39th of 187 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
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 Iran, Islamic Republic of, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 23.0% | — |
| 1992 | 22.1% | -3.8% |
| 1993 | 21.8% | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 21.4% | -2.1% |
| 1995 | 20.2% | -5.6% |
| 1996 | 18.6% | -8.0% |
| 1997 | 19.6% | +5.7% |
| 1998 | 20.8% | +6.0% |
| 1999 | 22.2% | +6.6% |
| 2000 | 23.1% | +4.2% |
| 2001 | 24.3% | +5.2% |
| 2002 | 25.2% | +3.7% |
| 2003 | 22.7% | -9.9% |
| 2004 | 20.3% | -10.3% |
| 2005 | 23.4% | +15.0% |
| 2006 | 23.5% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 22.3% | -5.0% |
| 2008 | 23.1% | +3.5% |
| 2009 | 24.7% | +6.8% |
| 2010 | 28.7% | +16.1% |
| 2011 | 26.6% | -7.2% |
| 2012 | 26.9% | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 23.9% | -11.2% |
| 2014 | 25.0% | +4.6% |
| 2015 | 26.0% | +4.0% |
| 2016 | 29.1% | +12.0% |
| 2017 | 28.2% | -3.0% |
| 2018 | 27.5% | -2.5% |
| 2019 | 25.9% | -5.7% |
| 2020 | 23.7% | -8.6% |
| 2021 | 23.8% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 22.7% | -4.5% |
| 2023 | 21.3% | -6.3% |
| 2024 | 21.3% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 21.9% | +2.8% |
Iran, Islamic Republic of compared with similar countries
- Iran, Islamic Republic of's 21.9% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.8%, 1.4× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Iran, Islamic Republic of's 21.9% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 21.9%, 1.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 21.1% | 18.6% | 23.0% | 9 |
| 2000s | 23.3% | 20.3% | 25.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.8% | 23.9% | 29.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.4% | 21.3% | 23.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iran, Islamic Republic of
More work & labour data for Iran, Islamic Republic of
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 44,188 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 40.34 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 29,874 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 8.53 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 2.43 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 57,320 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 20,416 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 36.89 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.89 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.574 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Iran, Islamic Republic of was 21.9% 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 Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- The highest recorded value was 29.1% in 2016.
- What is the lowest unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.6% in 1996.
- How does Iran, Islamic Republic of rank for unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24)?
- Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 39th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) rising or falling in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iran, Islamic Republic of 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.