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 20.2% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Iran, Islamic Republic of, 2005–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Iran, Islamic Republic of is 20.2%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 20 years on record.
That represents a change of down 4.9% on the previous year and down 20.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Iran, Islamic Republic of peaked at 29.3% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 20.2%, in 2024.
That places Iran, Islamic Republic of 39th out of 160 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 20 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 23.5% | — |
| 2006 | 23.7% | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 22.4% | -5.2% |
| 2008 | 23.1% | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 24.8% | +7.2% |
| 2010 | 28.7% | +15.9% |
| 2011 | 26.6% | -7.3% |
| 2012 | 26.9% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 24.1% | -10.1% |
| 2014 | 25.2% | +4.6% |
| 2015 | 26.2% | +3.9% |
| 2016 | 29.3% | +11.8% |
| 2017 | 28.5% | -2.9% |
| 2018 | 27.7% | -2.7% |
| 2019 | 26.1% | -5.9% |
| 2020 | 23.7% | -9.0% |
| 2021 | 23.7% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 22.6% | -4.5% |
| 2023 | 21.2% | -6.4% |
| 2024 | 20.2% | -4.9% |
Iran, Islamic Republic of compared with similar countries
- Iran, Islamic Republic of's 20.2% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.5%, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Iran, Islamic Republic of's 20.2% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 15.3%, 1.3× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 23.5% | 22.4% | 24.8% | 5 |
| 2010s | 26.9% | 24.1% | 29.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.3% | 20.2% | 23.7% | 5 |
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 20.2% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), 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 29.3% 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 20.2% in 2024.
- 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 160 countries with data for 2024.
- 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 20.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iran, Islamic Republic of data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) (national 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. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.