Unemployment, modelled ILO estimate (% of total labour force) - SDG in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Unemployment, modelled ILO estimate (% of total labour force) - SDG was 3.04 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, modelled ILO estimate (% of total labour force) - SDG in Saudi Arabia, 1991–2025
Source: UNICEF.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg in Saudi Arabia is 3.04, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 13.6% on the previous year and down 45.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg in Saudi Arabia peaked at 7.66 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 3.04, in 2025.
That places Saudi Arabia 60th out of 69 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, modelled ILO estimate (% of total labour force) - SDG in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 7.32 | — |
| 1992 | 7.2 | -1.6% |
| 1993 | 7 | -2.8% |
| 1994 | 6.73 | -3.8% |
| 1995 | 6.37 | -5.5% |
| 1996 | 5.8 | -8.8% |
| 1997 | 5.28 | -9.0% |
| 1998 | 4.75 | -10.1% |
| 1999 | 4.35 | -8.5% |
| 2000 | 4.57 | +5.2% |
| 2001 | 4.62 | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 5.26 | +14.0% |
| 2003 | 5.56 | +5.7% |
| 2004 | 5.82 | +4.7% |
| 2005 | 6.05 | +3.9% |
| 2006 | 6.25 | +3.4% |
| 2007 | 5.73 | -8.3% |
| 2008 | 5.08 | -11.3% |
| 2009 | 5.38 | +5.7% |
| 2010 | 5.55 | +3.2% |
| 2011 | 5.77 | +4.0% |
| 2012 | 5.62 | -2.6% |
| 2013 | 5.6 | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 5.88 | +4.9% |
| 2015 | 5.6 | -4.7% |
| 2016 | 5.6 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 5.89 | +5.2% |
| 2018 | 6.03 | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 5.64 | -6.5% |
| 2020 | 7.66 | +35.9% |
| 2021 | 6.62 | -13.6% |
| 2022 | 5.59 | -15.6% |
| 2023 | 4.01 | -28.3% |
| 2024 | 3.52 | -12.2% |
| 2025 | 3.04 | -13.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.09 | 4.35 | 7.32 | 9 |
| 2000s | 5.43 | 4.57 | 6.25 | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.72 | 5.55 | 6.03 | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.07 | 3.04 | 7.66 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More social development data for Saudi Arabia
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 448 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,368 (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 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,368 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 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 Saudi Arabia?
- Unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg in Saudi Arabia was 3.04 in 2025, according to UNICEF.
- What is the highest unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 7.66 in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.04 in 2025.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 60th out of 69 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 45.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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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