Afghanistan Unemployment Rate
Unemployment as % of total labor force SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS
Afghanistan's unemployment rate was 13.35% in 2025, ranked 162nd globally. This represents a 2.5% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1991–2025.
Overview
Afghanistan's unemployment rate stood at 13.35% in 2025, a decline of +0.34pp from 2024. Afghanistan ranked 162nd globally.
Afghanistan's unemployment rate has fluctuated significantly over the past 35 years, with the latest value standing at 13.35% as of 2025. This places the country at 162nd globally, closely trailing the Syrian Arab Republic's 13.57% and surpassing Armenia's 12.87%. The country experienced its all-time peak unemployment rate of 14.10% in 2022, while its lowest point was 7.79% in 2004. The recent peak in 2022 suggests that the country's labor market has faced significant challenges in recent years. In comparison to peer countries, Afghanistan's unemployment rate is among the highest, with North Macedonia having a lower rate of 12.26%. Looking ahead, a shift in the trend would likely require significant economic reforms and investments to stimulate job creation and reduce unemployment, potentially altering the country's current trajectory.
Data & projection
| Year | Unemployment Rate | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 13.35% | −0.34pp | #162 |
| 2024 | 13.69% | −0.32pp | #170 |
| 2023 | 14.01% | −0.09pp | #171 |
| 2022 | 14.10% | +2.09pp | #168 |
| 2021 | 12.01% | +0.30pp | #153 |
| 2020 | 11.71% | +0.52pp | #147 |
| 2019 | 11.19% | −0.01pp | #152 |
| 2018 | 11.19% | +0.01pp | #152 |
| 2017 | 11.18% | +1.07pp | #149 |
| 2016 | 10.12% | +1.08pp | #141 |
| 2015 | 9.03% | +1.12pp | #128 |
| 2014 | 7.92% | −0.01pp | #117 |
| 2013 | 7.92% | +0.05pp | #114 |
| 2012 | 7.88% | +0.04pp | #113 |
| 2011 | 7.83% | +0.02pp | #115 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Afghanistan matched the Stagflation Risk pattern in 2022. Historically, 38% of countries showing this pattern (117 out of 307) saw unemployment rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Afghanistan's unemployment rate was 13.35% in 2025. Ranked 162nd globally. This represents a 2.5% decrease from the previous year.
Afghanistan's unemployment rate peaked at 14.10% in 2022.
The lowest unemployment rate in Afghanistan was 7.79% in 2004.
Afghanistan ranks 162nd globally in unemployment rate as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
The unemployment rate of Afghanistan in 2025 was 13.35%. This ranks 162nd in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_afghanistan_unemployment-rate,
title = {Afghanistan Unemployment Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/afghanistan/unemployment-rate/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}