Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Yemen
Yemen: Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) was 16.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Yemen, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Yemen stood at 16.3%.
The figure is up 2.0% on the previous year and down 3.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Yemen peaked at 17.6% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 9.4%, in 1993.
That places Yemen 10th out of 187 countries 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, male (% of male labor force) in Yemen, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 9.5% | — |
| 1992 | 9.4% | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 9.4% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 9.4% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 10.0% | +6.9% |
| 1996 | 10.6% | +5.9% |
| 1997 | 11.3% | +6.0% |
| 1998 | 11.9% | +5.3% |
| 1999 | 12.5% | +5.2% |
| 2000 | 12.2% | -1.9% |
| 2001 | 12.1% | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 12.0% | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 11.9% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 11.8% | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 11.8% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 11.7% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 11.7% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 11.8% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 11.8% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 11.7% | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 12.2% | +4.2% |
| 2012 | 12.3% | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 12.5% | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 12.4% | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 16.9% | +36.5% |
| 2016 | 17.4% | +3.2% |
| 2017 | 17.6% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 16.6% | -5.6% |
| 2019 | 16.3% | -2.2% |
| 2020 | 17.0% | +4.8% |
| 2021 | 17.3% | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 16.2% | -6.3% |
| 2023 | 16.0% | -1.6% |
| 2024 | 16.0% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 16.3% | +2.0% |
Yemen compared with similar countries
- Yemen's 16.3% is above the median for low income countries, which is 4.2%, 3.9× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Yemen's 16.3% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 8.5%, 1.9× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Yemen changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | +36.5% | 12.4% | 16.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 10.4% | 9.4% | 12.5% | 9 |
| 2000s | 11.9% | 11.7% | 12.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.6% | 11.7% | 17.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.5% | 16.0% | 17.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Yemen
More education data for Yemen
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 229,234 (2016)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 19,507 (2016)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 16,813 (2016)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.92 million (2016)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.90 million (2016)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 5.15 % change on previous year (2013)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2016)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1215 units per person (2016)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Yemen?
- Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Yemen was 16.3% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Yemen?
- The highest recorded value was 17.6% in 2017.
- What is the lowest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Yemen?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.4% in 1993.
- How does Yemen rank for unemployment, male (% of male labor force)?
- Yemen ranks 10th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) rising or falling in Yemen?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Yemen data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, male (% of male 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.