Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Bangladesh

Bangladesh: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 3.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
3.6%
Change on year
up 8.4%
World rank
131st
of 185 countries
All-time high
5.0%
in 2009
All-time low
0.9%
in 1989
Years of data
19
1984–2024

Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Bangladesh, 1984–2024

123451984200420241984: 2 %1985: 2 %1986: 0.96 %1989: 0.925 %1991: 2.2 %1996: 2.5 %2000: 3.3 %2003: 4.3 %2005: 4.3 %2006: 3.6 %2009: 5 %2010: 3.4 %2011: 2.5 %2013: 4.4 %2016: 4.2 %2017: 4.4 %2022: 4.6 %2023: 3.4 %2024: 3.6 %

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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 129 Germany 3.8% compare
  2. 130 Hong Kong 3.7% compare
  3. 132 Bulgaria 3.5% compare
  4. 133 Kyrgyzstan 3.5% compare
  5. 134 Nigeria 3.5% compare

See the full ranking of 185 places →

More reference data data for Bangladesh

All data for Bangladesh →

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.

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About this data

Indicator
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates
Unit
%
Source
Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
185 places, 5,169 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

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.