Iraq Unemployment Rate
Unemployment as % of total labor force SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS
Overview
Iraq's unemployment rate stood at 15.49% in 2025, a rise of +0.19pp from 2024. Iraq ranked 168th globally.
Data & projection
| Year | Unemployment Rate | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 15.49% | +0.19pp | #168 |
| 2024 | 15.29% | +0.05pp | #173 |
| 2023 | 15.24% | −0.17pp | #175 |
| 2022 | 15.41% | −0.76pp | #175 |
| 2021 | 16.17% | +0.41pp | #174 |
| 2020 | 15.77% | +1.67pp | #167 |
| 2019 | 14.10% | +0.64pp | #168 |
| 2018 | 13.46% | +0.44pp | #165 |
| 2017 | 13.02% | +2.20pp | #162 |
| 2016 | 10.82% | −0.04pp | #145 |
| 2015 | 10.87% | +0.28pp | #145 |
| 2014 | 10.59% | +1.37pp | #138 |
| 2013 | 9.22% | +1.26pp | #126 |
| 2012 | 7.97% | −0.23pp | #115 |
| 2011 | 8.19% | −0.07pp | #121 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Iraq matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2022. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw unemployment rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Iraq's unemployment rate was 15.49% in 2025. Ranked 168th globally. This represents a 1.3% increase from the previous year.
Iraq's unemployment rate peaked at 16.17% in 2021.
The lowest unemployment rate in Iraq was 7.97% in 2012.
Iraq ranks 168th 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 Iraq in 2025 was 15.49%. This ranks 168th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_iraq_unemployment-rate,
title = {Iraq Unemployment Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/iraq/unemployment-rate},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}