Afghanistan — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for Afghanistan, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for Afghanistan was 13.35% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 14.10% in 2022. The lowest was 7.79% in 2004 (about 1.7× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 1.53% per year.
Afghanistan ranks 21 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 11%. The median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan is 9.00%, so Afghanistan sits above it. It peaked in 2022 and has fallen 5% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 48%. Within Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan it ranks 9 of 23 economies; Algeria (11.63%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 17% in 2022. That is 12% above this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
Doubling roughly every 46 years at that pace.
World ranking. Climbed: 73rd of 187 in 1991 → 84th of 187 in 2000 → 79th of 187 in 2010 → 45th of 187 in 2020 → 20th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 13.35% | -0.3 pp |
| 2024 | 13.69% | -0.3 pp |
| 2023 | 14.01% | -0.1 pp |
| 2022 | 14.1% | +2.1 pp |
| 2021 | 12.01% | +0.3 pp |
| 2020 | 11.71% | +0.5 pp |
| 2019 | 11.19% | -0.0 pp |
| 2018 | 11.19% | +0.0 pp |
| 2017 | 11.18% | +1.1 pp |
| 2016 | 10.12% | +1.1 pp |
| 2015 | 9.03% | +1.1 pp |
| 2014 | 7.92% | -0.0 pp |
| 2013 | 7.92% | +0.0 pp |
| 2012 | 7.88% | +0.0 pp |
| 2011 | 7.83% | +0.0 pp |
| 2010 | 7.81% | +0.0 pp |
| 2009 | 7.81% | -0.1 pp |
| 2008 | 7.88% | +0.0 pp |
| 2007 | 7.84% | -0.1 pp |
| 2006 | 7.9% | +0.0 pp |
| 2005 | 7.88% | +0.1 pp |
| 2004 | 7.79% | -0.1 pp |
| 2003 | 7.84% | -0.0 pp |
| 2002 | 7.87% | -0.1 pp |
| 2001 | 7.97% | +0.1 pp |
| 2000 | 7.9% | +0.0 pp |
| 1999 | 7.88% | +0.0 pp |
| 1998 | 7.87% | +0.0 pp |
| 1997 | 7.86% | -0.0 pp |
| 1996 | 7.88% | +0.0 pp |
| 1995 | 7.87% | -0.0 pp |
| 1994 | 7.88% | -0.0 pp |
| 1993 | 7.91% | -0.0 pp |
| 1992 | 7.96% | -0.0 pp |
| 1991 | 7.97% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Afghanistan’s Unemployment in 1992?
7.96% (1992). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of total labor force, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Afghanistan’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +67.5% in total — about 1.5% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 13.35%; 2024: 13.69%; 2023: 14.01%; 2022: 14.1%; 2021: 12.01%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS — Unemployment Rate. Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.