Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Turkey
Turkey: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) was 8.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Turkey, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Turkey stood at 8.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.2% on the previous year and down 17.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Turkey peaked at 14.0% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 6.5%, in 2000.
Turkey ranks 50th of 187 countries on this measure, 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) (modeled ILO estimate) in Turkey, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 8.2% | — |
| 1992 | 8.5% | +3.6% |
| 1993 | 9.0% | +5.3% |
| 1994 | 8.6% | -4.3% |
| 1995 | 7.6% | -10.9% |
| 1996 | 6.6% | -13.3% |
| 1997 | 6.8% | +3.2% |
| 1998 | 6.9% | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 7.7% | +11.6% |
| 2000 | 6.5% | -15.5% |
| 2001 | 8.4% | +29.0% |
| 2002 | 10.4% | +23.6% |
| 2003 | 10.5% | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 10.8% | +2.8% |
| 2005 | 10.6% | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 10.2% | -3.8% |
| 2007 | 10.3% | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 11.0% | +6.6% |
| 2009 | 14.0% | +27.9% |
| 2010 | 11.9% | -15.3% |
| 2011 | 9.8% | -17.6% |
| 2012 | 9.2% | -5.9% |
| 2013 | 9.7% | +5.5% |
| 2014 | 9.9% | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 10.3% | +4.1% |
| 2016 | 10.9% | +5.8% |
| 2017 | 10.9% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 11.0% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 13.7% | +25.3% |
| 2020 | 13.1% | -4.2% |
| 2021 | 12.0% | -9.0% |
| 2022 | 10.5% | -12.6% |
| 2023 | 9.4% | -10.3% |
| 2024 | 8.8% | -6.3% |
| 2025 | 8.5% | -3.2% |
Turkey compared with similar countries
- Turkey's 8.5% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.6%, 1.5× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Turkey's 8.5% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5.6%, 1.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 7.8% | 6.6% | 9.0% | 9 |
| 2000s | 10.3% | 6.5% | 14.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.7% | 9.2% | 13.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.4% | 8.5% | 13.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Turkey
More education data for Turkey
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 788,294 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 184,302 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.05 million (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 980,973 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 12.31 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.54 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.87 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0649 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Turkey?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Turkey was 8.5% 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 Turkey?
- The highest recorded value was 14.0% in 2009.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Turkey?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.5% in 2000.
- How does Turkey rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Turkey ranks 50th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Turkey?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Turkey 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.
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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.