Unemployment, modelled: SDG 8.5.2 in Iran
Iran: Unemployment, modelled: SDG 8.5.2 was 8.3 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
8.3
Change on year
up 1.9%
World rank
25th
of 69 countries
All-time high
13.68
in 2010
All-time low
8.13
in 2023
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment, modelled ILO estimate (% of total labour force) - SDG in Iran, 1991–2025
Source: UNICEF.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg in Iran stood at 8.3.
That represents a change of up 1.9% on the previous year and down 25.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg in Iran peaked at 13.68 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 8.13, in 2023.
That places Iran 25th out of 69 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, modelled: SDG 8.5.2 in Iran, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 11.1 | — |
| 1992 | 10.65 | -4.0% |
| 1993 | 10.57 | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 10.46 | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 9.9 | -5.3% |
| 1996 | 9.1 | -8.1% |
| 1997 | 9.68 | +6.4% |
| 1998 | 10.36 | +7.0% |
| 1999 | 11.18 | +7.9% |
| 2000 | 11.7 | +4.7% |
| 2001 | 12.36 | +5.7% |
| 2002 | 12.8 | +3.5% |
| 2003 | 11.53 | -9.9% |
| 2004 | 10.3 | -10.7% |
| 2005 | 11.81 | +14.7% |
| 2006 | 11.52 | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 10.77 | -6.5% |
| 2008 | 10.63 | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 12.11 | +14.0% |
| 2010 | 13.68 | +12.9% |
| 2011 | 12.49 | -8.7% |
| 2012 | 12.28 | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 10.6 | -13.7% |
| 2014 | 10.68 | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 11.17 | +4.6% |
| 2016 | 12.62 | +13.0% |
| 2017 | 12.23 | -3.1% |
| 2018 | 12.2 | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 10.74 | -11.9% |
| 2020 | 9.69 | -9.8% |
| 2021 | 9.28 | -4.2% |
| 2022 | 9.09 | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 8.13 | -10.5% |
| 2024 | 8.15 | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 8.3 | +1.9% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 8.3 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 10.93, 76% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
- Iran's 8.3 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 9.99, 83% of the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 10.33 | 9.1 | 11.18 | 9 |
| 2000s | 11.55 | 10.3 | 12.8 | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.87 | 10.6 | 13.68 | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.77 | 8.13 | 9.69 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iran
More social development data for Iran
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 770,514 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 157,912 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0017 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 157,912 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0083 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg in Iran?
- Unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg in Iran was 8.3 in 2025, according to UNICEF.
- What is the highest unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 13.68 in 2010.
- What is the lowest unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.13 in 2023.
- How does Iran rank for unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg?
- Iran ranks 25th out of 69 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iran data come from?
- The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of Unemployment, modelled ILO estimate (% of total labour force) - SDG 8.5.2. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required).