Unemployment, modelled: SDG 8.5.2 in Syria
Syria: Unemployment, modelled: SDG 8.5.2 was 13.57 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, modelled ILO estimate (% of total labour force) - SDG in Syria, 1991–2025
Source: UNICEF.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg in Syria stood at 13.57.
That represents a change of up 1.6% on the previous year and down 4.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg in Syria peaked at 15.18 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 6.75, in 1991.
Syria ranks 9th of 69 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, modelled: SDG 8.5.2 in Syria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 6.75 | — |
| 1992 | 6.95 | +2.9% |
| 1993 | 7.4 | +6.5% |
| 1994 | 7.5 | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 7.2 | -4.0% |
| 1996 | 7.22 | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 7.31 | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 7.38 | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 7.6 | +3.0% |
| 2000 | 9.59 | +26.1% |
| 2001 | 11.63 | +21.3% |
| 2002 | 10.94 | -5.9% |
| 2003 | 10.28 | -6.0% |
| 2004 | 9.51 | -7.5% |
| 2005 | 8.81 | -7.4% |
| 2006 | 8.17 | -7.3% |
| 2007 | 8.42 | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 10.94 | +29.9% |
| 2009 | 8.14 | -25.6% |
| 2010 | 8.61 | +5.8% |
| 2011 | 8.63 | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 13.8 | +60.0% |
| 2013 | 14.5 | +5.1% |
| 2014 | 14.78 | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 14.24 | -3.6% |
| 2016 | 13.8 | -3.1% |
| 2017 | 13.6 | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 13.51 | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 13.37 | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 15.18 | +13.5% |
| 2021 | 14.89 | -1.9% |
| 2022 | 13.24 | -11.0% |
| 2023 | 13.27 | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 13.36 | +0.7% |
| 2025 | 13.57 | +1.6% |
Syria compared with similar countries
- Syria's 13.57 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 9.99, 1.4× the median. (20 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment, modelled: SDG 8.5.2 in Syria changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | +60.0% | 8.63 | 13.8 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 7.26 | 6.75 | 7.6 | 9 |
| 2000s | 9.64 | 8.14 | 11.63 | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.88 | 8.61 | 14.78 | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.92 | 13.24 | 15.18 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Syria
More social development data for Syria
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 9,885 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 4.87 million (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 0.1899 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 4.87 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0004 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg in Syria?
- Unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg in Syria was 13.57 in 2025, according to UNICEF.
- What is the highest unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg recorded in Syria?
- The highest recorded value was 15.18 in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg recorded in Syria?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.75 in 1991.
- How does Syria rank for unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg?
- Syria ranks 9th out of 69 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg rising or falling in Syria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Syria 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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