Youth unemployment in Iraq sees slight decline in 2023, Statista reports

Shafaq News/ Youth unemployment in Iraq saw a marginal decline in 2023, according to recent statistics released by Statista.

The data indicated that the youth unemployment rate dropped to 32.23% in 2023, compared to 32.26% in 2022., which marked the second consecutive year of decline in the youth unemployment rate.

Statista noted that youth unemployment in Iraq saw its highest increase in 2021, reaching 35.62%; meanwhile, the lowest rate recorded was in 2004, when youth unemployment stood at 17.12%.

In the Arab world, youth unemployment has worsened compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to a report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

The report found that the youth unemployment rate in Arab states reached 28% in 2023, representing about 2.5 million people. This figure accounts for nearly 4% of the global total of 64.9 million unemployed youth. The rate has increased from 27% in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic.

The ILO's report covered a range of Arab states, including Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, the occupied Palestinian territories, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the UAE, and Yemen. Among these, eight countries—Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, Syria, the UAE, and Yemen—experienced higher unemployment rates in 2023 compared to 2019.

The ILO highlighted that the youth unemployment situation in the Arab states is "critically high," making it one of the three most affected subregions globally, alongside East Asia and South-East Asia.

Notably, youth unemployment rates reflect the percentage of the total labor force aged 15 to 24 who are currently without work but actively seeking employment. This figure does not include those who are economically inactive, such as full-time students or the long-term unemployed.