Pakistan's unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) was 5.95% in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 3.15 percentage points from 2.8% in 2015.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 5.95% | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | 5.38% | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | 2.8% | 2015 |
| Highest | 6.24% | 2002 |
| Lowest | 0.4% | 2008 |
| Average since 2016 | 4.55% | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | 3.27% | 1979 |
What the numbers say
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 2.81 percentage points in 2012 and the biggest yearly fall was 5.31 percentage points in 2006. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2025, Pakistan had the 30th highest value of the 83 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.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | 5.95% | 2025 |
| Lower middle income | 4.1% | 2024 |
Closest to Pakistan in the 2025 ranking
- Burkina Faso — 27th of 83: 6.09%
- Austria — 28th of 83: 6.08%
- Uruguay — 29th of 83: 6.04%
- Mongolia — 31st of 83: 5.92%
- Costa Rica — 32nd of 83: 5.8%
- Italy — 33rd of 83: 5.66%
What this measures
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.
Limitations: While the unemployment rate may be considered the most informative labour market indicator, reflecting the general performance of the labour market and the economy as a whole, it should not be interpreted as a measure of economic hardship or of well-being. When based on the internationally-recommended standards, the unemployment rate simply reflects the proportion of the labour force that does not have a job but is available and actively looking for work. It says nothing about the economic resources of unemployed workers or their family members. Its use should, therefore, be limited to serving as a measurement of the utilization of labour and an indication of the failure to find work.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.
All 43 values
| Year | Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 5.95 |
| 2024 | no data |
| 2023 | no data |
| 2022 | no data |
| 2021 | 5.49 |
| 2020 | 5.38 |
| 2019 | 4.41 |
| 2018 | 3.96 |
| 2017 | no data |
| 2016 | 2.15 |
| 2015 |
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) in nearby economies
- Algeria — 9.43% (2017)
- Bahrain — 0.17% (2015)
- Egypt, Arab Rep. — 4.04% (2024)
- Iran, Islamic Rep. — 6.24% (2024)
- Israel — 3.1% (2025)
- Jordan — 14.7% (2024)
- Kuwait — 0.94% (2016)
- Malta — 3.07% (2025)
- Morocco — 10.22% (2022)
More social protection & labor data for Pakistan
- Net migration — -1.24 million (2025)
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate) — 6.96% (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum — 1.16 million (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+) (national estimate) — 28.21% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) (national estimate) — 34.63% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) (national estimate) — 81.46% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) (national estimate) — 55.34% (2025)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Pakistan's unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate)?
- 5.95% in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1979?
- It is up 2.68 percentage points from 3.27% in 1979. The highest value was 6.24% in 2002 and the lowest 0.4% in 2008.
- How does Pakistan rank?
- 30th highest of 83 economies with data for 2025.
- Where does this data come from?
- The World Bank's World Development Indicators, 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.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SL.UEM.TOTL.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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