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Labour · Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan · Upper-middle income

Iran: the labour market

Labour force is 29.5m (2025), 24th of 187 in the world and 3rd of 23 in the Middle East & North Africa. Participation rate is 41.0% (2025), 175th of 187 in the world and 17th of 23 in the Middle East & North Africa. Women's participation is 14.0% (2025), 183rd of 187 in the world and 19th of 23 in the Middle East & North Africa.

Labour force29.5m2025 · world 24/187 · region 3/23Participation rate41.0%2025 · world 175/187 · region 17/23Women's participation14.0%2025 · world 183/187 · region 19/23Employment rate37.6%2025 · world 172/187 · region 15/23
Labour force
Iran
010.0m20.0m30.0m1995200020052010201520202025Iran29.5m
Participation rate
IranMiddle East, North Africa, A…Upper-middle incomeWorld
0%20%40%60%80%1995200020052010201520202025Iran41.0%Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & PakistanUpper-middle incomeWorld
13 indicators

Labour: Iran in detail

Latest reported value, world rank and rank within Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.

IndicatorLatestWorld rankIn region~2000~2010~202010-year changeRegionIncome groupWorldSince 2000
Labour forceLabour force, total29.5m202524/1873/2319.5m25.1m27.7m+12%since 2015264m1.5bn3.7bn
Participation rateLabour force participation, % of 15+41.0%2025175/18717/2344.1%42.3%41.4%−1.0 ppsince 201547.4%62.7%61.0%
Women's participationFemale labour force participation, % of women 15+14.0%2025183/18719/2313.7%15.1%13.7%−0.3 ppsince 201519.7%53.4%48.9%
Employment rateEmployment to population ratio, 15+ (ILO)37.6%2025172/18715/2339.0%36.5%37.4%+0.3 ppsince 201543.7%59.5%58.1%
UnemploymentUnemployment, % of labour force (ILO)8.3%202554/18713/2311.7%13.7%9.7%−2.9 ppsince 20157.8%5.2%4.8%
Female unemploymentFemale unemployment, % of female labour force (ILO)15.6%202521/18711/2319.4%20.8%15.7%−4.0 ppsince 201512.1%5.1%4.9%
Youth unemploymentYouth unemployment, ages 15–24 (ILO)21.9%202539/18711/2323.1%28.7%23.7%−4.1 ppsince 201518.7%15.6%13.4%
Youth NEET rateYouth not in education, employment or training, %24.3%202455/1708/16·34.4%29.4%−9.0 ppsince 201432.2%17.3%—
Wage workersWage and salaried workers, % of total employment57.1%2025118/18719/2351.9%55.2%56.3%+1.5 ppsince 201561.0%61.3%53.6%
Vulnerable employmentVulnerable employment, % of total employment (ILO)39.5%202565/1874/2343.8%40.9%40.6%−1.4 ppsince 201536.1%34.8%42.4%
Jobs in agricultureEmployment in agriculture, % of total employment13.6%202599/1877/2320.3%16.3%16.1%−3.0 ppsince 201521.7%19.8%25.8%
Jobs in industryEmployment in industry, % of total employment34.7%20256/1874/2336.9%36.6%34.1%+1.0 ppsince 201526.6%27.7%23.7%
Jobs in servicesEmployment in services, % of total employment51.7%2025121/18720/2342.8%47.0%49.8%+2.0 ppsince 201551.7%52.4%50.6%
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)“·” — no value reported within two years of that date. World rank counts countries with a recent value.

Better than ten years ago

Worse than ten years ago

Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).

neighbours

Iran and its neighbours

Countries sharing a land border with Iran. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.

IndicatorIranPakistanTürkiyeIraqAfghanistanSaudi Arabia
Labour force29.5m202585.2m202536.9m202512.5m20259.4m202518.4m2025
Participation rate41.0%202552.3%202554.4%202541.5%202537.5%202565.1%2025
Women's participation14.0%202524.0%202537.1%202510.9%20255.1%202533.6%2025
Employment rate37.6%202549.5%202549.7%202535.1%202532.5%202563.1%2025
Unemployment8.3%20255.4%20258.5%202515.5%202513.4%20253.0%2025
Female unemployment15.6%20256.9%202511.6%202530.1%202525.0%20259.7%2025
Youth unemployment21.9%20259.6%202516.0%202532.0%202516.8%202510.0%2025
Youth NEET rate24.3%202428.5%202523.3%202536.9%202143.8%202116.4%2025
Wage workers57.1%202543.0%202571.5%202568.3%202516.6%202594.5%2025
Pakistan: labourTürkiye: labourIraq: labourAfghanistan: labourSaudi Arabia: labour
Labour in Middle East & North Africaall 23 economies rankedLabour: upper-middle-income countries59 economies rankedLabour: world leaderboardstop and bottom countriesIran: all key statisticscountry profile