Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Syria

Syria: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 14.9% in 2011. ▲ Rising

Latest (2011)
14.9%
Change on year
up 72.9%
World rank
13th
of 185 countries
All-time high
14.9%
in 2011
All-time low
0.0%
in 1997
Years of data
29
1969–2011

Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Syria, 1969–2011

0510151969199020111969: 4.3 %1970: 6.4 %1971: 7.5 %1972: 4.7 %1973: 4.5 %1974: 5.1 %1975: 4.8 %1976: 6.2 %1977: 5 %1978: 4.5 %1979: 3.8 %1983: 4.2 %1984: 4.7 %1989: 5.8 %1991: 6.8 %1993: 7.4 %1994: 7.5 %1995: 7.2 %1997: 0 %1999: 7.6 %2001: 11.6 %2002: 11.7 %2003: 10.3 %2006: 8.2 %2007: 8.4 %2008: 10.9 %2009: 8.1 %2010: 8.6 %2011: 14.9 %

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

Analysis

Syria recorded 14.9% for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in 2011. That is the highest value across all 29 years on record.

That represents a change of up 72.9% on the previous year and up 28.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Syria peaked at 14.9% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1997.

That places Syria 13th out of 185 countries with data for 2011, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 4.3% 4.3% 4.3% 1
1970s 5.3% 3.8% 7.5% 10
1980s 4.9% 4.2% 5.8% 3
1990s 6.1% 0.0% 7.6% 6
2000s 9.9% 8.1% 11.7% 7
2010s 11.8% 8.6% 14.9% 2

Countries ranked near Syria

  1. 10 Iraq 16.2% compare
  2. 11 Malawi 15.4% compare
  3. 12 Tunisia 15.1% compare
  4. 14 Guyana 14.7% compare
  5. 15 Haiti 14.1% compare
  6. 16 Yemen 13.5% compare

See the full ranking of 185 places →

More reference data data for Syria

All data for Syria →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Syria?
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Syria was 14.9% in 2011, 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 Syria?
The highest recorded value was 14.9% in 2011.
What is the lowest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Syria?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1997.
How does Syria rank for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
Syria ranks 13th out of 185 countries with data for 2011.
Is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates rising or falling in Syria?
Over the last ten years it is up 28.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Syria 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.