Jordan — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for Jordan, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for Jordan was 16.54% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 21.44% in 1991. The lowest was 11.90% in 2014 (about 1.4× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.76% per year.
Jordan ranks 13 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 7%. The median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan is 9.00%, so Jordan sits above it. It peaked in 1991 and has fallen 23% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 26%. Within Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan it ranks 5 of 23 economies; Iraq (15.48%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 19% in 2017. That is 4% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 6th of 187 in 1991 → 34th of 187 in 2000 → 39th of 187 in 2010 → 13th of 187 in 2020 → 12th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 16.54% | -0.2 pp |
| 2024 | 16.69% | +0.1 pp |
| 2023 | 16.62% | -1.6 pp |
| 2022 | 18.2% | -1.6 pp |
| 2021 | 19.84% | +0.6 pp |
| 2020 | 19.21% | +2.4 pp |
| 2019 | 16.8% | -1.5 pp |
| 2018 | 18.26% | +0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 18.12% | +2.8 pp |
| 2016 | 15.28% | +2.2 pp |
| 2015 | 13.08% | +1.2 pp |
| 2014 | 11.9% | -0.7 pp |
| 2013 | 12.6% | +0.4 pp |
| 2012 | 12.2% | -0.7 pp |
| 2011 | 12.9% | +0.4 pp |
| 2010 | 12.5% | -0.4 pp |
| 2009 | 12.9% | +0.2 pp |
| 2008 | 12.7% | -0.4 pp |
| 2007 | 13.1% | -0.9 pp |
| 2006 | 14% | -0.8 pp |
| 2005 | 14.8% | +0.2 pp |
| 2004 | 14.63% | +0.1 pp |
| 2003 | 14.5% | -0.8 pp |
| 2002 | 15.3% | +0.6 pp |
| 2001 | 14.7% | +1.0 pp |
| 2000 | 13.7% | -0.1 pp |
| 1999 | 13.76% | -0.1 pp |
| 1998 | 13.84% | +0.1 pp |
| 1997 | 13.74% | +0.0 pp |
| 1996 | 13.7% | -0.9 pp |
| 1995 | 14.6% | -2.3 pp |
| 1994 | 16.89% | -2.8 pp |
| 1993 | 19.7% | -0.2 pp |
| 1992 | 19.95% | -1.5 pp |
| 1991 | 21.44% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Jordan’s Unemployment in 1992?
19.95% (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 Jordan’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -22.9% in total — about 0.8% 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: 16.54%; 2024: 16.69%; 2023: 16.62%; 2022: 18.2%; 2021: 19.84%. 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.