Jordan: Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate)

Key figures

Over five years it is up 6.43 percentage points from 34.83% in 2019. Since 2015 it is up 14.48 percentage points from 26.78% in 2015.

What the numbers say

In 2024, Jordan's unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate) rose 2.27 percentage points on 2023 (from 38.99% to 41.26%).

Across the 8 yearly changes before that (2016 to 2023), the average change was +1.53 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 3.16 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above 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 5.69 percentage points in 2020 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.82 percentage points in 2019. 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 upward, about 1.5 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 80% 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, Jordan had the 3rd 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 Jordan in the 2024 ranking

• South Africa — 1st of 20: 56.99%
• Botswana — 2nd of 20: 42.42%
• Montenegro — 4th of 20: 26.52%
• Luxembourg — 5th of 20: 24.45%
• Albania — 6th of 20: 22.28%

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 10 values

Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate) in nearby economies

• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 11.21% (2024)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 17.72% (2024)
• Israel — 4.75% (2025)
• 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 Jordan

• Net migration — -303,267 (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum — 436,226 (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin — 5,471 (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 12.51% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 37.89% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 25.24% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 17.26% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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Questions people ask

What is Jordan's unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate)?

41.26% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2015?

It is up 14.48 percentage points from 26.78% in 2015. The highest value was 41.55% in 2021 and the lowest 26.78% in 2015.

How does Jordan rank?

3rd 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 Jordan?

In 2024, Jordan's unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate) rose 2.27 percentage points on 2023 (from 38.99% to 41.26%). Across the 8 yearly changes before that (2016 to 2023), the average change was +1.53 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 3.16 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

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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