Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Arab World
Arab World: Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) was 16.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Arab World, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Arab World is 16.0%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 20.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Arab World peaked at 20.4% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 15.7%, in 1992.
That places Arab World 1st out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Arab World, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 16.9% | — |
| 1992 | 15.7% | -7.4% |
| 1993 | 17.3% | +10.3% |
| 1994 | 17.9% | +3.8% |
| 1995 | 18.6% | +3.8% |
| 1996 | 16.8% | -9.8% |
| 1997 | 17.0% | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 16.9% | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 16.9% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 18.3% | +8.5% |
| 2001 | 18.2% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 18.7% | +2.8% |
| 2003 | 18.5% | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 18.7% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 18.3% | -2.3% |
| 2006 | 17.7% | -3.1% |
| 2007 | 16.6% | -6.4% |
| 2008 | 16.7% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 17.9% | +7.5% |
| 2010 | 18.5% | +3.2% |
| 2011 | 19.5% | +5.4% |
| 2012 | 20.0% | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 20.0% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 20.0% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 20.3% | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 20.1% | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 20.4% | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 19.6% | -4.0% |
| 2019 | 19.6% | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 19.6% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 18.4% | -6.3% |
| 2022 | 17.2% | -6.4% |
| 2023 | 16.3% | -5.2% |
| 2024 | 16.2% | -0.5% |
| 2025 | 16.0% | -1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 17.1% | 15.7% | 18.6% | 9 |
| 2000s | 18.0% | 16.6% | 18.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.8% | 18.5% | 20.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.3% | 16.0% | 19.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Arab World
- 1 Palestine, State of 40.0% compare
- 2 Eswatini 36.0% compare
- 3 Djibouti 35.4% compare
- 4 South Africa 34.0% compare
More education data for Arab World
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 2.58 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 40.79 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 55.62 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.7891 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1129 units per person (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 63.3% (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 32.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Arab World?
- Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Arab World was 16.0% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, female (% of female labor force) recorded in Arab World?
- The highest recorded value was 20.4% in 2017.
- What is the lowest unemployment, female (% of female labor force) recorded in Arab World?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.7% in 1992.
- How does Arab World rank for unemployment, female (% of female labor force)?
- Arab World ranks 1st out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, female (% of female labor force) rising or falling in Arab World?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Arab World data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.