Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Iran, Islamic Republic of
Iran, Islamic Republic of: Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) was 15.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Iran, Islamic Republic of, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Iran, Islamic Republic of recorded 15.6% for unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.2% on the previous year and down 20.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Iran, Islamic Republic of peaked at 24.6% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 13.4%, in 1996.
Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 21st of 187 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Iran, Islamic Republic of, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 24.6% | — |
| 1992 | 22.3% | -9.3% |
| 1993 | 20.6% | -7.6% |
| 1994 | 18.8% | -9.0% |
| 1995 | 16.2% | -13.5% |
| 1996 | 13.4% | -17.3% |
| 1997 | 14.9% | +10.8% |
| 1998 | 16.4% | +10.3% |
| 1999 | 18.1% | +10.3% |
| 2000 | 19.4% | +7.0% |
| 2001 | 20.8% | +7.3% |
| 2002 | 21.9% | +5.1% |
| 2003 | 18.9% | -13.3% |
| 2004 | 16.2% | -14.5% |
| 2005 | 17.7% | +9.2% |
| 2006 | 16.6% | -6.3% |
| 2007 | 16.2% | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 17.0% | +5.2% |
| 2009 | 17.1% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 20.8% | +21.8% |
| 2011 | 21.2% | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 19.9% | -6.0% |
| 2013 | 20.0% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 19.9% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 19.6% | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 20.9% | +6.5% |
| 2017 | 20.0% | -4.3% |
| 2018 | 19.1% | -4.7% |
| 2019 | 17.6% | -7.5% |
| 2020 | 15.7% | -10.7% |
| 2021 | 16.1% | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 15.9% | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 15.1% | -4.8% |
| 2024 | 15.1% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 15.6% | +3.2% |
Iran, Islamic Republic of compared with similar countries
- Iran, Islamic Republic of's 15.6% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 7.5%, 2.1× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Iran, Islamic Republic of's 15.6% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 15.3%, 1.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 18.4% | 13.4% | 24.6% | 9 |
| 2000s | 18.2% | 16.2% | 21.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.9% | 17.6% | 21.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.6% | 15.1% | 16.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iran, Islamic Republic of
More education data for Iran, Islamic Republic of
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 406,399 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 108,066 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 519,698 (2020)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 505,053 (2020)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.62 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 9.09 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.31 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1003 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Iran, Islamic Republic of was 15.6% 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 Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- The highest recorded value was 24.6% in 1991.
- What is the lowest unemployment, female (% of female labor force) recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.4% in 1996.
- How does Iran, Islamic Republic of rank for unemployment, female (% of female labor force)?
- Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 21st out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, female (% of female labor force) rising or falling in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iran, Islamic Republic of 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.
Download this data
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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.