Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 3.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Bangladesh, 1984–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Bangladesh stood at 3.6%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.4% on the previous year and down 17.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Bangladesh peaked at 5.0% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 0.9%, in 1989.
That places Bangladesh 131st out of 185 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 2.0% | — |
| 1985 | 2.0% | -0.7% |
| 1986 | 1.0% | -52.5% |
| 1989 | 0.9% | -3.6% |
| 1991 | 2.2% | +137.4% |
| 1996 | 2.5% | +14.5% |
| 2000 | 3.3% | +30.0% |
| 2003 | 4.3% | +32.2% |
| 2005 | 4.3% | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 3.6% | -15.6% |
| 2009 | 5.0% | +39.2% |
| 2010 | 3.4% | -32.4% |
| 2011 | 2.5% | -25.9% |
| 2013 | 4.4% | +76.8% |
| 2016 | 4.2% | -5.1% |
| 2017 | 4.4% | +4.1% |
| 2022 | 4.6% | +5.1% |
| 2023 | 3.4% | -27.0% |
| 2024 | 3.6% | +8.4% |
Bangladesh compared with similar countries
- Bangladesh's 3.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.0%, 72% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Bangladesh's 3.6% is below the median for South Asia, which is 4.4%, 82% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.5% | 0.9% | 2.0% | 4 |
| 1990s | 2.4% | 2.2% | 2.5% | 2 |
| 2000s | 4.1% | 3.3% | 5.0% | 5 |
| 2010s | 3.8% | 2.5% | 4.4% | 5 |
| 2020s | 3.9% | 3.4% | 4.6% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
More reference data data for Bangladesh
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.46 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 9.09 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 24.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 24.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 8.25 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 2.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 37.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 105.98 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 14.25 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Bangladesh?
- Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Bangladesh was 3.6% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 5.0% in 2009.
- What is the lowest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9% in 1989.
- How does Bangladesh rank for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
- Bangladesh ranks 131st out of 185 countries with data for 2024.
- Is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 19 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.