Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Iran

Iran: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 7.6% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
7.6%
Change on year
down 6.1%
World rank
56th
of 185 countries
All-time high
14.2%
in 1986
All-time low
7.6%
in 2024
Years of data
25
1986–2024

Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Iran, 1986–2024

0510151986200520241986: 14.2 %1991: 11.1 %1996: 9.1 %2002: 12.8 %2004: 10.3 %2005: 11.8 %2006: 11.5 %2007: 10.8 %2008: 10.6 %2009: 12.1 %2010: 13.7 %2011: 12.5 %2012: 12.3 %2013: 10.6 %2014: 10.7 %2015: 11.2 %2016: 12.6 %2017: 12.2 %2018: 12.2 %2019: 10.7 %2020: 9.7 %2021: 9.3 %2022: 9.1 %2023: 8.1 %2024: 7.6 %

Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Iran recorded 7.6% for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

That represents a change of down 6.1% on the previous year and down 28.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Iran peaked at 14.2% in 1986 and was at its lowest, 7.6%, in 2024.

Iran ranks 56th of 185 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 14.2% 14.2% 14.2% 1
1990s 10.1% 9.1% 11.1% 2
2000s 11.4% 10.3% 12.8% 7
2010s 11.9% 10.6% 13.7% 10
2020s 8.8% 7.6% 9.7% 5

Countries ranked near Iran

  1. 53 Suriname 7.9% compare
  2. 54 France 7.7% compare
  3. 55 Saint Lucia 7.7% compare
  4. 57 Sudan 7.5% compare
  5. 58 Venezuela 7.5% compare
  6. 59 Estonia 7.5% compare

See the full ranking of 185 places →

More reference data data for Iran

All data for Iran →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Iran?
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Iran was 7.6% 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 Iran?
The highest recorded value was 14.2% in 1986.
What is the lowest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Iran?
The lowest recorded value was 7.6% in 2024.
How does Iran rank for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
Iran ranks 56th out of 185 countries with data for 2024.
Is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates rising or falling in Iran?
Over the last ten years it is down 28.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Iran 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.