Unemployment Rate in Iraq increased to 15.50 percent in 2024 from 15.40 percent in 2023. This dataset provides - Iraq Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The unemployment rate in Iraq saw no significant changes in 2024 in comparison to the previous year 2023 and remained at around 15.52 percent. The unemployment rate of a country or region refers to the share of the total workforce that is currently without work, but actively searching for employment. It does not include economically inactive persons, such as children, retirees, or the long-term unemployed.Find more key insights for the unemployment rate in countries like Syria and Israel.

Iraq unemployment rate for 2024 was 15.52%, a 0.08% increase from 2023.

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<li>Iraq unemployment rate for 2023 was <strong>15.45%</strong>, a <strong>0.06% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>Iraq unemployment rate for 2022 was <strong>15.51%</strong>, a <strong>0.66% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>Iraq unemployment rate for 2021 was <strong>16.17%</strong>, a <strong>0.39% increase</strong> from 2020.</li>
</ul>Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.

Graph and download economic data for Youth Unemployment Rate for Iraq (SLUEM1524ZSIRQ) from 1991 to 2024 about Iraq, 15 to 24 years, unemployment, and rate.

Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Iraq was reported at 15.52 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Iraq - Unemployment, total - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

In 2023, the unemployment rate in Iraq remained nearly unchanged at around 15.53 percent. Still, 2023 marked the second consecutive decline of the unemployment rate. The unemployment rate of a country or region refers to the share of the total workforce that is currently without work, but actively searching for employment. It does not include economically inactive persons, such as children, retirees, or the long-term unemployed.Find more key insights for the unemployment rate in countries like Syria and Israel.

Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Iraq was reported at 30.38 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Iraq - Unemployment, female - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

The youth unemployment rate in Iraq saw no significant changes in 2023 in comparison to the previous year 2022 and remained at around 32.23 percent. Still, 2023 marked the second consecutive decline of the youth unemployment rate. The youth unemployment rate refers to the share of the workforce aged 15 to 24 that is currently not working but is actively searching for work. It does not include the economically inactive population, such as the long-term unemployed or full-time students.Find more key insights for the youth unemployment rate in countries like Iran and Kuwait.

Iraq IQ: Unemployment Rate: YoY data was reported at 20.333 % in 2017. Iraq IQ: Unemployment Rate: YoY data is updated yearly, averaging 20.333 % from Dec 2017 (Median) to 2017, with 1 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 20.333 % in 2017 and a record low of 20.333 % in 2017. Iraq IQ: Unemployment Rate: YoY data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by International Monetary Fund. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Iraq – Table IQ.IMF.IFS: Labour Force, Employment and Unemployment: Annual.

Iraq youth unemployment rate for 2024 was 32.09%, a 0.12% increase from 2023.

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<li>Iraq youth unemployment rate for 2023 was <strong>31.97%</strong>, a <strong>0.1% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>Iraq youth unemployment rate for 2022 was <strong>32.07%</strong>, a <strong>3.58% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>Iraq youth unemployment rate for 2021 was <strong>35.65%</strong>, a <strong>0.83% increase</strong> from 2020.</li>
</ul>Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment.

Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) (modeled ILO estimate) in Iraq was reported at 32.09 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Iraq - Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

iraq - Youth Unemployment Rate for Iraq was 32.09% in January of 2024, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, iraq - Youth Unemployment Rate for Iraq reached a record high of 35.65 in January of 2021 and a record low of 31.97 in January of 2023. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for iraq - Youth Unemployment Rate for Iraq - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.

Iraq IQ: Unemployment: National Estimate: % of Total Labour Force data was reported at 7.965 % in 2012. This records a decrease from the previous number of 8.649 % for 2007. Iraq IQ: Unemployment: National Estimate: % of Total Labour Force data is updated yearly, averaging 8.307 % from Dec 2007 (Median) to 2012, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 8.649 % in 2007 and a record low of 7.965 % in 2012. Iraq IQ: Unemployment: National Estimate: % of Total Labour Force data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Iraq – Table IQ.World Bank.WDI: Employment and Unemployment. Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in September 2018.; Weighted average; The series for ILO estimates is also available in the WDI database. Caution should be used when comparing ILO estimates with national estimates.

Iraq IQ: Unemployment: National Estimate: Youth: % of Total Labour Force Aged 15-24 data was reported at 16.057 % in 2012. This records a decrease from the previous number of 17.275 % for 2007. Iraq IQ: Unemployment: National Estimate: Youth: % of Total Labour Force Aged 15-24 data is updated yearly, averaging 16.666 % from Dec 2007 (Median) to 2012, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 17.275 % in 2007 and a record low of 16.057 % in 2012. Iraq IQ: Unemployment: National Estimate: Youth: % of Total Labour Force Aged 15-24 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Iraq – Table IQ.World Bank: Employment and Unemployment. Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in September 2018.; Weighted average; The series for ILO estimates is also available in the WDI database. Caution should be used when comparing ILO estimates with national estimates.

Abstract

the Ministry of Youth and Sports adopted the National Strategy for Youth Development, in cooperation with the Central Bureau of Statistics and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the National Youth and Youth Survey (NYS) project in Iraq and its width and the Kurdistan Region, which focused heavily on key aspects of youth In Iraq for the category (10-30) years in order to access a broad database to facilitate the work of strategic decision-makers to build and rehabilitate young people, to develop plans and programs to improve information, attitudes and practices based on modern scientific basis correct.

The main objective of this survey is: 1- Studying the knowledge, attitudes and practices of young men and women in old age, especially after the political and social changes that Iraq has undergone since 2003 with the aim of drawing up a clear national strategy for youth that meets the requirements and aspirations of this age group of the population. 2- Providing a database on youth to serve researchers, planners, decision-makers and policy makers in the preparation of health, social and developmental plans and programs aimed at improving their economic, social, cultural and scientific conditions. To estimate the size of the manpower and the labor force of young people in the society and their distribution according to the characteristics and knowledge of the size of employment and unemployment in society and to identify the characteristics and trends of the unemployed in order to follow the changes in employment rates and unemployment, 3- To study the relationship between the profession and the scientific specialization and to identify the reasons for the reluctance of young people to work in the private sector and handicrafts, as well as to create a modern database and provide all the information and statistics necessary to make comparisons and monitoring indicators at the local, regional and international levels, which helps to formulate policies to match the outputs of education and labor market Through labor market plans and strategies

The results of this national project are considered to meet the national need to integrate young people in the Iraqi national project right and transit to achieve natural rights and to strengthen the national gains and if we look at the statistics that resulted from the results of the survey, which give rise to optimism here and pessimistic there, we find that the picture will be clear and clear In this segment calls for the minimum requirements of modern institutions of government and international and civil and want to be effective in achieving the achievement of added and direct attention should be on a large scale as it needs multiple legislation in the political, economic and cultural aspects.

Geographic coverage

NYS is nationally representative, covering all governorates of Iraq, including Kurdistan.

Analysis unit

1- Households. 2- Youth aged (10-30)

Universe

The survey covered a national sample of households and selected youth aged 10-30.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

Sample Design and Method of Selecting Sampling Units

The survey sample comprised 6492 households completely interviewed; these households are distributed across all governorates and included 15080 persons in the age of (10-30) years old who were completely interviewed. Data collection took place during the period from 25/3/2009 to 13/4/2009.

The sample of the Iraq national youth and adolescent's survey for the year 2009 was designed to be representative at the governorates level with a confidence interval of 95% and a margin of error of 7%. It was taken into account, while deciding on the sample size, to address the bias resulting from the adoption of the cluster method in selection households and also to address the possible non-response rate due to the fact that some households might not be cooperative with the interviewers while others may not be present in their homes during the fieldwork. To compute indicators, we take into account the relative weight of the population in each stratum, so that indicators showed are weighted using factors computed so that sampled population present the same pattern as the real population , for example the population of Baghdad Governorate constitutes around 22.1% of the whole Iraqi population while the Muthna governorate constitutes around 2.2%, etc.

In light of the above, the sample size was 6730 households with 360 households in each governorate with the exception of Baghdad where the sample amounted to 610 families, distributed on different environments (urban central, Suburbs, and rural areas) whereby 2500 households were sampled from the urban central area against some 2250 in the Suburbs areas and 1980 households in the rural communities, on the level of Iraq as a whole.

The design of the sample relied on the following criteria: • Providing indicators with an adequate representation on the governorates level and on the environmental level in each governorate (urban central - suburbs - and rural), since the surveys, previously implemented over the past three years in Iraq, aimed at reaching that level of details. • Adapting the available sample frames with the aim of selecting an adequate representative sample with the absence of a modern sample frame. • Choosing a sampling design appropriate for Iraq current situation and facilitates completing fieldwork efficiently

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The survey tool is a long and detialed questionnaire for both Househlds and individuals 10-30.

Response rate

6492 households were interviewed with a response rate of 96.5%, while 15080 youth and adolescents were also interviewed with a total response rate of 92.6% (94.5% for females and 91.1% for males) that reached its utmost in the governorate of Najaf (100%) and its lowest was in As-Sulaimanya Governorate (73.2%).

15,4 (%) in 2023. Unemployment rate can be defined by either the national definition, the ILO harmonized definition, or the OECD harmonized definition. The OECD harmonized unemployment rate gives the number of unemployed persons as a percentage of the labor force (the total number of people employed plus unemployed). [OECD Main Economic Indicators, OECD, monthly] As defined by the International Labour Organization, "unemployed workers" are those who are currently not working but are willing and able to work for pay, currently available to work, and have actively searched for work. [ILO, http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/stat/res/index.htm]

Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Iraq was reported at 13.26 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Iraq - Unemployment, male - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

This scatter chart displays inflation (annual %) against unemployment (% of total labor force) in Iraq. The data is about countries per year.

This scatter chart displays self-employed workers (% of total employment) against unemployment (% of total labor force) in Iraq. The data is about countries per year.

Iraq IQ: Unemployment with Intermediate Education: Female: % of Female Labour Force data was reported at 5.057 % in 2012. This records a decrease from the previous number of 7.448 % for 2007. Iraq IQ: Unemployment with Intermediate Education: Female: % of Female Labour Force data is updated yearly, averaging 6.253 % from Dec 2007 (Median) to 2012, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7.448 % in 2007 and a record low of 5.057 % in 2012. Iraq IQ: Unemployment with Intermediate Education: Female: % of Female Labour Force data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Iraq – Table IQ.World Bank: Employment and Unemployment. The percentage of the labor force with an intermediate level of education who are unemployed. Intermediate education comprises upper secondary or post-secondary non tertiary education according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in September 2018.; Weighted average;