Unemployment, modelled ILO estimate (% of total labour force) - SDG in Iraq
Iraq: Unemployment, modelled ILO estimate (% of total labour force) - SDG was 15.48 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
15.48
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
6th
of 69 countries
All-time high
16.17
in 2021
All-time low
7.96
in 2012
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment, modelled ILO estimate (% of total labour force) - SDG in Iraq, 1991–2025
Source: UNICEF.
Analysis
Iraq recorded 15.48 for unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg in 2025.
The figure is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 42.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg in Iraq peaked at 16.17 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 7.96, in 2012.
That places Iraq 6th out of 69 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, modelled ILO estimate (% of total labour force) - SDG in Iraq, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 8.64 | — |
| 1992 | 8.35 | -3.4% |
| 1993 | 8.36 | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 8.22 | -1.7% |
| 1995 | 8.43 | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 8.52 | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 8.27 | -2.9% |
| 1998 | 8.06 | -2.5% |
| 1999 | 7.98 | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 8.04 | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 8.25 | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 8.62 | +4.5% |
| 2003 | 8.96 | +3.9% |
| 2004 | 8.71 | -2.7% |
| 2005 | 8.57 | -1.7% |
| 2006 | 8.41 | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 8.65 | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 8.47 | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 8.41 | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 8.27 | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 8.19 | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 7.96 | -2.8% |
| 2013 | 9.22 | +15.8% |
| 2014 | 10.59 | +14.8% |
| 2015 | 10.87 | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 10.82 | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 13.02 | +20.3% |
| 2018 | 13.46 | +3.4% |
| 2019 | 14.1 | +4.7% |
| 2020 | 15.77 | +11.8% |
| 2021 | 16.17 | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 15.41 | -4.7% |
| 2023 | 15.24 | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 15.29 | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 15.48 | +1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.31 | 7.98 | 8.64 | 9 |
| 2000s | 8.51 | 8.04 | 8.96 | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.65 | 7.96 | 14.1 | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.56 | 15.24 | 16.17 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
More social development data for Iraq
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 322,345 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 270,671 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 5 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 5 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0058 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 270,671 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0069 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 Iraq?
- Unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg in Iraq was 15.48 in 2025, according to UNICEF.
- What is the highest unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg recorded in Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 16.17 in 2021.
- What is the lowest unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.96 in 2012.
- How does Iraq rank for unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg?
- Iraq ranks 6th out of 69 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is up 42.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iraq 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.
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