Iraq Labor Force Participation
Labor force participation rate SL.TLF.CACT.ZS
Overview
Iraq's labor force participation stood at 41.53% in 2025, a decline of +0.02pp from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 42.32% by 2026. Iraq ranked 169th globally.
Data & projection
| Year | Labor Force Participation | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2028* trend | 43.08% | - | - |
| 2027* trend | 42.70% | - | - |
| 2026* trend | 42.32% | - | - |
| 2025 | 41.53% | −0.02pp | #169 |
| 2024 | 41.56% | −0.07pp | #169 |
| 2023 | 41.63% | +0.15pp | #171 |
| 2022 | 41.48% | +1.82pp | #173 |
| 2021 | 39.66% | −0.64pp | #176 |
| 2020 | 40.31% | −0.21pp | #175 |
| 2019 | 40.52% | −0.72pp | #176 |
| 2018 | 41.24% | −0.65pp | #176 |
| 2017 | 41.89% | −1.26pp | #176 |
| 2016 | 43.15% | +0.11pp | #175 |
| 2015 | 43.04% | +0.11pp | #174 |
| 2014 | 42.93% | +0.97pp | #173 |
| 2013 | 41.96% | +0.97pp | #175 |
| 2012 | 40.99% | −0.14pp | #178 |
| 2011 | 41.13% | −0.15pp | #178 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Iraq matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2022. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw labor force participation improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Iraq's labor force participation was 41.53% in 2025. Ranked 169th globally. This represents a 0.1% decrease from the previous year.
Iraq's labor force participation peaked at 43.15% in 2016.
The lowest labor force participation in Iraq was 39.66% in 2021.
Iraq ranks 169th globally in labor force participation as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SL.TLF.CACT.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
Iraq's labor force participation is projected to reach 42.32% by 2026 based on trend extrapolation.
The labor force participation of Iraq in 2025 was 41.53%. This ranks 169th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_iraq_labor-force-participation,
title = {Iraq Labor Force Participation},
url = {https://historysaid.com/iraq/labor-force-participation},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}