Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 3.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Bangladesh, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Bangladesh stood at 3.8%.
The figure is up 3.9% on the previous year and down 14.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Bangladesh peaked at 5.5% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2.2%, in 1991.
That places Bangladesh 123rd out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2.2% | — |
| 1992 | 2.2% | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 2.3% | +3.4% |
| 1994 | 2.4% | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 2.4% | +3.0% |
| 1996 | 2.5% | +2.8% |
| 1997 | 2.7% | +7.5% |
| 1998 | 2.9% | +7.2% |
| 1999 | 3.1% | +6.7% |
| 2000 | 3.3% | +5.9% |
| 2001 | 3.6% | +10.4% |
| 2002 | 4.0% | +9.9% |
| 2003 | 4.3% | +8.9% |
| 2004 | 4.3% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 4.2% | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 3.6% | -15.5% |
| 2007 | 4.0% | +11.8% |
| 2008 | 4.5% | +11.8% |
| 2009 | 5.0% | +11.4% |
| 2010 | 3.4% | -32.4% |
| 2011 | 3.7% | +10.6% |
| 2012 | 4.1% | +8.9% |
| 2013 | 4.4% | +8.7% |
| 2014 | 4.4% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 4.4% | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 4.3% | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 4.4% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 4.4% | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 4.5% | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 5.5% | +23.0% |
| 2021 | 5.5% | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 4.6% | -15.8% |
| 2023 | 3.4% | -27.0% |
| 2024 | 3.6% | +8.4% |
| 2025 | 3.8% | +3.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.5% | 2.2% | 3.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 4.1% | 3.3% | 5.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.2% | 3.4% | 4.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.4% | 3.4% | 5.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
More education data for Bangladesh
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 571,690 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 387,056 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.73 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.77 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 15.07 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 16.69 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.67 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0961 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Bangladesh?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Bangladesh was 3.8% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 5.5% in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.2% in 1991.
- How does Bangladesh rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Bangladesh ranks 123rd out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.