Iran, Islamic Rep.'s unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate) was 17.72% in 2024, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 3.64 percentage points from 21.36% in 2014.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 17.72% | 2024 |
| Five years earlier | 22.79% | 2019 |
| Ten years earlier | 21.36% | 2014 |
| Highest | 25.55% | 2010 |
| Lowest | 17.72% | 2024 |
| Average since 2015 | 21.78% | 2015–2024 |
| First recorded | 20.66% | 2005 |
What the numbers say
In 2024, Iran, Islamic Rep.'s unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate) fell 0.94 percentage points on 2023 (from 18.66% to 17.72%).
Across the 18 yearly changes before that (2006 to 2023), the average change was −0.11 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.77 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 3.16 percentage points in 2016 and the biggest yearly fall was 3.25 percentage points in 2013. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.75 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 79% of the movement over 10 observed years.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2024, Iran, Islamic Rep. had the 7th highest value of the 20 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
Closest to Iran, Islamic Rep. in the 2024 ranking
- Montenegro — 4th of 20: 26.52%
- Luxembourg — 5th of 20: 24.45%
- Albania — 6th of 20: 22.28%
- Sri Lanka — 8th of 20: 17.23%
- Kosovo — 9th of 20: 16.48%
- Barbados — 10th of 20: 15.37%
What this measures
Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.
Limitations: The criteria for people considered to be seeking work, and the treatment of people temporarily laid off or seeking work for the first time, vary across countries. In many cases it is especially difficult to measure employment and unemployment in agriculture. The timing of a survey can maximize the effects of seasonal unemployment in agriculture. And informal sector employment is difficult to quantify where informal activities are not tracked.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.
All 20 values
| Year | Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 17.72 |
| 2023 | 18.66 |
| 2022 | 19.9 |
| 2021 | 20.93 |
| 2020 | 21.23 |
| 2019 | 22.79 |
| 2018 | 24.35 |
| 2017 | 24.31 |
| 2016 | 25.53 |
| 2015 | 22.38 |
Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate) in nearby economies
- Egypt, Arab Rep. — 11.21% (2024)
- Israel — 4.75% (2025)
- Jordan — 41.26% (2024)
- Malta — 9.19% (2025)
- Morocco — 28.73% (2022)
- Pakistan — 12.29% (2025)
- Qatar — 0.26% (2024)
- Saudi Arabia — 9.14% (2025)
More social protection & labor data for Iran, Islamic Rep.
- Net migration — 116,786 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum — 770,514 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin — 157,912 (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 9.33% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 35.13% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 22.55% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 15.65% (2025)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Iran, Islamic Rep.'s unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate)?
- 17.72% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 2005?
- It is down 2.93 percentage points from 20.66% in 2005. The highest value was 25.55% in 2010 and the lowest 17.72% in 2024.
- How does Iran, Islamic Rep. rank?
- 7th highest of 20 economies with data for 2024.
- Is the latest change in unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate) unusual for Iran, Islamic Rep.?
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SL.UEM.1524.MA.NE.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: September 28, 2026 Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
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