NCRI —  A top statistics official of the Iranian regime said that one out of four young Iranians aged between 15 and 24 were unemployed, the state-run Mehr news agency reported on Monday.

"Based on last years' statistics, 25.6 percent of youths in Iran, aged 15 to 24 are unemployed,” Mohammad Madad, head of Iranian regime's Statistics Centre was quoted as saying.

Madad said the youth unemployment figure is 28.9 percent in urban areas and 19.4 percent in rural areas.

Half of Iran's 70 million population is under 30 and the legal working age is 15.

According to independent experts the unemployment figure is much higher than officially announced figures. “The economically active population in Iran is estimated to be about 25 million. Half of them are currently unemployed,” said one expert.