Bahrain — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for Bahrain, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for Bahrain was 1.10% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 1.76% in 2020. The lowest was 0.88% in 1993 (about 1.2× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.15% per year.
Bahrain ranks 181 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 97%. The median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan is 9.00%, so Bahrain sits below it. It peaked in 2020 and has fallen 38% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 5%. Within Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan it ranks 22 of 23 economies; Qatar (0.13%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 45% in 2020. That is 12% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.1% | +0.0 pp |
| 2024 | 1.08% | +0.0 pp |
| 2023 | 1.05% | -0.2 pp |
| 2022 | 1.26% | -0.3 pp |
| 2021 | 1.55% | -0.2 pp |
| 2020 | 1.77% | +0.5 pp |
| 2019 | 1.22% | +0.0 pp |
| 2018 | 1.19% | +0.0 pp |
| 2017 | 1.18% | -0.0 pp |
| 2016 | 1.19% | +0.0 pp |
| 2015 | 1.16% | +0.0 pp |
| 2014 | 1.14% | -0.0 pp |
| 2013 | 1.18% | -0.0 pp |
| 2012 | 1.2% | -0.0 pp |
| 2011 | 1.21% | +0.1 pp |
| 2010 | 1.13% | +0.1 pp |
| 2009 | 1.07% | +0.1 pp |
| 2008 | 1.01% | +0.0 pp |
| 2007 | 1.01% | -0.0 pp |
| 2006 | 1.02% | +0.0 pp |
| 2005 | 1.02% | -0.0 pp |
| 2004 | 1.06% | -0.1 pp |
| 2003 | 1.13% | -0.0 pp |
| 2002 | 1.14% | +0.0 pp |
| 2001 | 1.12% | +0.0 pp |
| 2000 | 1.08% | -0.0 pp |
| 1999 | 1.11% | -0.0 pp |
| 1998 | 1.11% | -0.0 pp |
| 1997 | 1.13% | -0.1 pp |
| 1996 | 1.18% | +0.1 pp |
| 1995 | 1.04% | +0.0 pp |
| 1994 | 1.01% | +0.1 pp |
| 1993 | 0.88% | -0.1 pp |
| 1992 | 0.97% | -0.1 pp |
| 1991 | 1.05% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Bahrain’s Unemployment in 1992?
0.97% (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 Bahrain’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +5.3% in total — about 0.2% 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: 1.1%; 2024: 1.08%; 2023: 1.05%; 2022: 1.26%; 2021: 1.55%. 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.