Saudi Arabia — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for Saudi Arabia, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for Saudi Arabia was 3.04% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 7.66% in 2020. Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -2.55% per year.
Saudi Arabia ranks 147 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 79%. The median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan is 9.00%, so Saudi Arabia sits below it. It peaked in 2020 and has fallen 60% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 46%. Within Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan it ranks 18 of 23 economies; Malta (2.90%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 36% in 2020. That is 44% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 79th of 187 in 1991 → 129th of 187 in 2000 → 112th of 187 in 2010 → 76th of 187 in 2020 → 142nd of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3.04% | -0.5 pp |
| 2024 | 3.52% | -0.5 pp |
| 2023 | 4.01% | -1.6 pp |
| 2022 | 5.59% | -1.0 pp |
| 2021 | 6.62% | -1.0 pp |
| 2020 | 7.66% | +2.0 pp |
| 2019 | 5.64% | -0.4 pp |
| 2018 | 6.03% | +0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 5.89% | +0.3 pp |
| 2016 | 5.6% | +0.0 pp |
| 2015 | 5.6% | -0.3 pp |
| 2014 | 5.88% | +0.3 pp |
| 2013 | 5.6% | -0.0 pp |
| 2012 | 5.62% | -0.1 pp |
| 2011 | 5.77% | +0.2 pp |
| 2010 | 5.55% | +0.2 pp |
| 2009 | 5.38% | +0.3 pp |
| 2008 | 5.09% | -0.6 pp |
| 2007 | 5.73% | -0.5 pp |
| 2006 | 6.25% | +0.2 pp |
| 2005 | 6.05% | +0.2 pp |
| 2004 | 5.82% | +0.3 pp |
| 2003 | 5.56% | +0.3 pp |
| 2002 | 5.27% | +0.6 pp |
| 2001 | 4.62% | +0.0 pp |
| 2000 | 4.57% | +0.2 pp |
| 1999 | 4.35% | -0.4 pp |
| 1998 | 4.75% | -0.5 pp |
| 1997 | 5.28% | -0.5 pp |
| 1996 | 5.8% | -0.6 pp |
| 1995 | 6.37% | -0.4 pp |
| 1994 | 6.73% | -0.3 pp |
| 1993 | 7% | -0.2 pp |
| 1992 | 7.2% | -0.1 pp |
| 1991 | 7.32% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Saudi Arabia’s Unemployment in 1992?
7.2% (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 Saudi Arabia’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -58.5% in total — about 2.6% 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: 3.04%; 2024: 3.52%; 2023: 4.01%; 2022: 5.59%; 2021: 6.62%. 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.