Turkmenistan — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for Turkmenistan, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for Turkmenistan was 4.27% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 12.70% in 1999. The lowest was 1.40% in 1991 (about 3.0× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 3.33% per year.
Turkmenistan ranks 116 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 62%. The median for Europe & Central Asia is 5.58%, so Turkmenistan sits below it. It peaked in 1999 and has fallen 66% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 6%. Within Europe & Central Asia it ranks 38 of 49 economies; Netherlands (3.87%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 213% in 1994. That is 3% above this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
From its 1991 level: doubled by 1994. Doubling roughly every 21 years at that pace.
World ranking. Climbed: 171st of 187 in 1991 → 49th of 187 in 2000 → 142nd of 187 in 2010 → 133rd of 187 in 2020 → 111th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.27% | +0.2 pp |
| 2024 | 4.02% | +0.0 pp |
| 2023 | 4.01% | -0.0 pp |
| 2022 | 4.02% | -0.4 pp |
| 2021 | 4.46% | -0.0 pp |
| 2020 | 4.49% | +0.5 pp |
| 2019 | 4.04% | -0.0 pp |
| 2018 | 4.04% | +0.0 pp |
| 2017 | 4.04% | +0.0 pp |
| 2016 | 4.03% | +0.0 pp |
| 2015 | 4.02% | +0.0 pp |
| 2014 | 4.01% | +0.0 pp |
| 2013 | 3.99% | -0.0 pp |
| 2012 | 3.99% | -0.0 pp |
| 2011 | 4% | +0.0 pp |
| 2010 | 4% | +0.0 pp |
| 2009 | 4% | -0.9 pp |
| 2008 | 4.85% | -0.9 pp |
| 2007 | 5.72% | -0.9 pp |
| 2006 | 6.6% | -0.9 pp |
| 2005 | 7.5% | -0.9 pp |
| 2004 | 8.42% | -0.9 pp |
| 2003 | 9.29% | -0.9 pp |
| 2002 | 10.14% | -0.8 pp |
| 2001 | 10.9% | -0.8 pp |
| 2000 | 11.73% | -1.0 pp |
| 1999 | 12.7% | +0.5 pp |
| 1998 | 12.2% | +1.2 pp |
| 1997 | 11% | +0.7 pp |
| 1996 | 10.3% | +2.0 pp |
| 1995 | 8.3% | +3.6 pp |
| 1994 | 4.7% | +3.2 pp |
| 1993 | 1.5% | +0.0 pp |
| 1992 | 1.5% | +0.1 pp |
| 1991 | 1.4% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Turkmenistan’s Unemployment in 1992?
1.5% (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 Turkmenistan’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +204.8% in total — about 3.3% 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: 4.27%; 2024: 4.02%; 2023: 4.01%; 2022: 4.02%; 2021: 4.46%. 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.