COUNTRY / INDICATOR
Saudi Arabia Unemployment
Saudi Arabia unemployment: latest available value for 2025, historical series from 1999, ranking context and source documentation.
Series overview
SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,04 | -0,48 |
| 2024 | 3,52 | -0,49 |
| 2023 | 4,01 | -1,58 |
| 2022 | 5,59 | -1,03 |
| 2021 | 6,62 | -1,04 |
| 2020 | 7,66 | 2,02 |
| 2019 | 5,64 | -0,39 |
| 2018 | 6,03 | 0,14 |
| 2017 | 5,89 | 0,29 |
| 2016 | 5,60 | 0,00 |
| 2015 | 5,60 | -0,10 |
| 2014 | 5,70 | 0,10 |
| 2013 | 5,60 | 0,10 |
| 2012 | 5,50 | -0,30 |
| 2011 | 5,80 | 0,30 |
| 2010 | 5,50 | 0,10 |
| 2009 | 5,40 | 0,20 |
| 2008 | 5,20 | -0,40 |
| 2007 | 5,60 | -0,70 |
| 2006 | 6,30 | 0,20 |
| 2005 | 6,10 | 0,30 |
| 2004 | 5,80 | 0,20 |
| 2003 | 5,60 | 0,30 |
| 2002 | 5,30 | 0,70 |
| 2001 | 4,60 | 0,00 |
| 2000 | 4,60 | 0,30 |
| 1999 | 4,30 | — |
Source methodology
World Development IndicatorsIndicator note: Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.
Source organization: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: January 17, 2026
Metadata fetched: 2026-08-01 01:21:22. Open original metadata response.
Country-specific interpretation
Automatically derived from the displayed seriesSaudi Arabia recorded 3,04 percent in 2025, the latest year available in this series.
Compared with 2024, the unemployment decreased by 0,48.
Across the latest five-year comparison window, the series shows an downward direction.
Across 27 observations from 1999 to 2025, the average was 5,41; the minimum was 3,04 in 2025 and the maximum was 7,66 in 2020.
Saudi Arabia ranks 43 out of 192 countries with a current value in the portal ranking.
The latest value is below the available average for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan.
It is also below the available average for the High income group.
Labor-market slack and employment pressure.