Data for 2012
Labour Force Participation Rate, 2012
2012, as ILO’s 2026 release gives it · stored as published, never rewritten
Labour Force Participation Rate, 2012 covers 187 countries. Madagascar is highest, at 86.358; São Tomé and Príncipe is lowest, at 24.011. The middle country reads 61.256. Against 2011, 187 values changed (89 up, 98 down), the same countries are covered.
Labour Force Participation Rate · Data for 2012
HighestMadagascar
86.358LowestSão Tomé and Príncipe
24.011Shaded by value in five groups of equal size, darkest at the better end.
01Position · derived
The table
Every country and every column of Labour Force Participation Rate, 2012, as published. ILO ranks nobody on this measure; the position is derived here by ordering the published values. “=” marks a shared position.
Showing 25 of 187 countries · select a heading to sort
| derived | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MDGEastern Africa | 86.358 |
| 2 | QATWestern Asia | 86.270 |
| 3 | TZAEastern Africa | 85.174 |
| 4 | SLBMelanesia | 84.305 |
| 5 | KHMSouth-eastern Asia | 82.987 |
| 6 | PRKEastern Asia | 82.072 |
| 7 | ETHEastern Africa | 81.337 |
| 8 | NGAWestern Africa | 81.055 |
| 9 | MOZEastern Africa | 81.008 |
| 10 | ERIEastern Africa | 79.360 |
| 11 | BFAWestern Africa | 79.346 |
| 12 | BDIEastern Africa | 78.701 |
| 13 | PERSouth America | 78.459 |
| 14 | NERWestern Africa | 77.650 |
| 15 | AREWestern Asia | 77.046 |
| 16 | AGOMiddle Africa | 77.037 |
| 17 | LBRWestern Africa | 76.962 |
| 18 | VNMSouth-eastern Asia | 76.323 |
| 19 | ISLNorthern Europe | 74.278 |
| 20 | CMRMiddle Africa | 74.218 |
| 21 | KENEastern Africa | 73.940 |
| 22 | BHSCaribbean | 73.797 |
| 23 | SSDEastern Africa | 73.565 |
| 24 | CAFMiddle Africa | 72.956 |
| 25 | THASouth-eastern Asia | 72.825 |
| 26 | BENWestern Africa | 72.295 |
| 27 | MWIEastern Africa | 71.850 |
| 28 | GHAWestern Africa | 71.715 |
| 29 | BHRWestern Asia | 71.586 |
| 30 | PRYSouth America | 71.277 |
| 31 | MACEastern Asia | 70.739 |
| 32 | KAZCentral Asia | 70.726 |
| 33 | KWTWestern Asia | 70.724 |
| 34 | MLIWestern Africa | 70.537 |
| 35 | CHNEastern Asia | 70.410 |
| 36 | UGAEastern Africa | 69.919 |
| 37 | LCACaribbean | 69.030 |
| 38 | COLSouth America | 68.072 |
| 39 | BOLSouth America | 68.070 |
| 40 | SGPSouth-eastern Asia | 67.943 |
| 41 | COGMiddle Africa | 67.869 |
| 42 | NZLAustralia and New Zealand | 67.641 |
| 43 | CHEWestern Europe | 67.586 |
| 44 | BRBCaribbean | 67.569 |
| 45 | IDNSouth-eastern Asia | 67.416 |
| 46 | CIVWestern Africa | 67.269 |
| 47 | TLSSouth-eastern Asia | 67.262 |
| 48 | NORNorthern Europe | 67.075 |
| 49 | NLDWestern Europe | 66.779 |
| 50 | GEOWestern Asia | 66.759 |
| 51 | VCTCaribbean | 66.672 |
| 52 | CANNorthern America | 66.558 |
| 53 | BRNSouth-eastern Asia | 66.382 |
| 54 | OMNWestern Asia | 66.110 |
| 55 | ZWEEastern Africa | 66.092 |
| 56 | CODMiddle Africa | 66.025 |
| 57 | LSOSouthern Africa | 65.822 |
| 58 | HTICaribbean | 65.721 |
| 59 | ISRWestern Asia | 65.260 |
| 60 | AUSAustralia and New Zealand | 65.245 |
| 61 | URYSouth America | 65.223 |
| 62 | MMRSouth-eastern Asia | 65.144 |
| 63 | GTMCentral America | 65.118 |
| 64 | PANCentral America | 64.957 |
| 65 | MDAEastern Europe | 64.787 |
| 66 | BRASouth America | 64.409 |
| 67 | BTNSouthern Asia | 64.400 |
| 68 | CRICentral America | 64.332 |
| 69 | NICCentral America | 64.302 |
| 70 | NCLMelanesia | 64.171 |
| 71 | CYPWestern Asia | 64.036 |
| 72 | BLREastern Europe | 63.667 |
| 73 | TTOCaribbean | 63.622 |
| 74 | SWENorthern Europe | 63.527 |
| 75 | GNBWestern Africa | 63.323 |
| 76 | VUTMelanesia | 63.128 |
| 77 | TCDMiddle Africa | 63.125 |
| 78 | VENSouth America | 63.114 |
| 79 | USANorthern America | 63.110 |
| 80 | RUSEastern Europe | 62.964 |
| 81 | MYSSouth-eastern Asia | 62.952 |
| 82 | GUMMicronesia | 62.541 |
| 83 | ECUSouth America | 62.452 |
| 84 | DNKNorthern Europe | 62.418 |
| 85 | BLZCentral America | 62.396 |
| 86 | GBRNorthern Europe | 61.990 |
| 87 | PHLSouth-eastern Asia | 61.733 |
| 88 | CHLSouth America | 61.688 |
| 89 | FJIMelanesia | 61.686 |
| 90 | AZEWestern Asia | 61.594 |
| 91 | IRLNorthern Europe | 61.589 |
| 92 | ARMWestern Asia | 61.550 |
| 93 | KGZCentral Asia | 61.505 |
| 94 | ESTNorthern Europe | 61.256 |
| 95 | MEXCentral America | 61.221 |
| 96 | BWASouthern Africa | 61.169 |
| 97 | KOREastern Asia | 60.928 |
| 98 | RWAEastern Africa | 60.854 |
| 99 | JAMCaribbean | 60.731 |
| 100 | LAOSouth-eastern Asia | 60.411 |
| 101 | ARGSouth America | 60.362 |
| 102 | VIRCaribbean | 60.337 |
| 103 | AUTWestern Europe | 60.207 |
| 104 | SLVCentral America | 60.197 |
| 105 | PRTSouthern Europe | 60.128 |
| 106 | GNQMiddle Africa | 60.008 |
| 107 | DEUWestern Europe | 59.958 |
| 108 | HKGEastern Asia | 59.744 |
| 109 | LVANorthern Europe | 59.677 |
| 110 | MNGEastern Asia | 59.654 |
| 111 | FINNorthern Europe | 59.588 |
| 112 | Channel IslandsCHINorthern Europe | 59.501 |
| 113 | DOMCaribbean | 59.431 |
| 114 | ESPSouthern Europe | 59.403 |
| 115 | SVKEastern Europe | 59.183 |
| 116 | CPVWestern Africa | 59.137 |
| 117 | JPNEastern Asia | 59.012 |
| 118 | ZMBEastern Africa | 58.972 |
| 119 | SLEWestern Africa | 58.842 |
| 120 | MUSEastern Africa | 58.690 |
| 121 | CZEEastern Europe | 58.641 |
| 122 | HNDCentral America | 58.400 |
| 123 | LUXWestern Europe | 58.202 |
| 124 | TGOWestern Africa | 58.187 |
| 125 | SVNSouthern Europe | 57.830 |
| 126 | LTUNorthern Europe | 57.746 |
| 127 | GINWestern Africa | 57.742 |
| 128 | BGDSouthern Asia | 57.647 |
| 129 | NAMSouthern Africa | 57.533 |
| 130 | ALBSouthern Europe | 56.995 |
| 131 | POLEastern Europe | 56.765 |
| 132 | UKREastern Europe | 56.273 |
| 133 | PYFPolynesia | 56.264 |
| 134 | FRAWestern Europe | 56.226 |
| 135 | GUYSouth America | 56.198 |
| 136 | TONPolynesia | 55.894 |
| 137 | UZBCentral Asia | 55.798 |
| 138 | SAUWestern Asia | 55.395 |
| 139 | CUBCaribbean | 55.088 |
| 140 | WSMPolynesia | 54.872 |
| 141 | MKDSouthern Europe | 54.271 |
| 142 | MDVSouthern Asia | 54.164 |
| 143 | SURSouth America | 53.893 |
| 144 | INDSouthern Asia | 53.509 |
| 145 | BELWestern Europe | 53.328 |
| 146 | BGREastern Europe | 53.174 |
| 147 | HUNEastern Europe | 52.869 |
| 148 | MLTSouthern Europe | 52.657 |
| 149 | LKASouthern Asia | 52.570 |
| 150 | ZAFSouthern Africa | 52.507 |
| 151 | GRCSouthern Europe | 51.893 |
| 152 | SWZSouthern Africa | 51.600 |
| 153 | HRVSouthern Europe | 51.325 |
| 154 | PAKSouthern Asia | 51.113 |
| 155 | BIHSouthern Europe | 50.680 |
| 156 | SRBSouthern Europe | 50.154 |
| 157 | ROUEastern Europe | 50.042 |
| 158 | TURWestern Asia | 49.958 |
| 159 | GABMiddle Africa | 49.615 |
| 160 | MNESouthern Europe | 49.436 |
| 161 | LBYNorthern Africa | 49.153 |
| 162 | PNGMelanesia | 49.059 |
| 163 | ITASouthern Europe | 48.809 |
| 164 | EGYNorthern Africa | 48.494 |
| 165 | MARNorthern Africa | 48.410 |
| 166 | TUNNorthern Africa | 48.251 |
| 167 | GMBWestern Africa | 47.949 |
| 168 | SDNNorthern Africa | 47.835 |
| 169 | SENWestern Africa | 46.986 |
| 170 | AFGSouthern Asia | 46.956 |
| 171 | LBNWestern Asia | 45.677 |
| 172 | TKMCentral Asia | 44.819 |
| 173 | COMEastern Africa | 43.845 |
| 174 | MRTWestern Africa | 43.551 |
| 175 | DZANorthern Africa | 43.110 |
| 176 | IRNSouthern Asia | 41.768 |
| 177 | PSEWestern Asia | 41.679 |
| 178 | TJKCentral Asia | 41.301 |
| 179 | IRQWestern Asia | 40.987 |
| 180 | NPLSouthern Asia | 40.697 |
| 181 | PRICaribbean | 39.897 |
| 182 | SYRWestern Asia | 39.200 |
| 183 | YEMWestern Asia | 38.213 |
| 184 | JORWestern Asia | 38.000 |
| 185 | SOMEastern Africa | 34.232 |
| 186 | DJIEastern Africa | 32.962 |
| 187 | STPMiddle Africa | 24.011 |
02In 2012
At either end
The 5 countries at each end of the headline.
Highest
- 1
Madagascar86.358
- 2
Qatar86.270
- 3
Tanzania85.174
- 4
Solomon Islands84.305
- 5
Cambodia82.987
Lowest
- 187
São Tomé and Príncipe24.011
- 186
Djibouti32.962
- 185
Somalia34.232
- 184
Jordan38.000
- 183
Yemen38.213
A higher value is the better result. The middle country reads 61.256. “Shared” marks a value another country also holds.
032011 → 2012
Since 2011
What changed between 2011 and this one: who joined or left, and how far the headline moved.
- +0 / −0countries joined / left
- 187values changed, of 187 in both
- 89 · 98rose · fell
- 0unchanged
Rose most
Guatemala61.401 → 65.118+3.717
Costa Rica60.620 → 64.332+3.712
Paraguay67.916 → 71.277+3.361
Oman62.758 → 66.110+3.352
Israel63.036 → 65.260+2.224
Both years come from the same release, so a difference here is a change in the data, not a revision of it. Every country’s full history is charted on the statistic page.
04Caveats
Read before you use
What this edition’s numbers are and are not, worked out from the file itself.
One year of the 2026 release
Every year in this series comes from ILO’s 2026 release, recalculated on one method. It can differ from what was first published for 2012.
The position is ours
ILO publishes values only; the order is this site’s.
Nothing missing
Every one of the 187 countries has every column.
05The files
Download and cite
The table as a file, digit for digit, what this site changed, and a citation for this edition.
- .csv
For a spreadsheet or code
187 rows · 5.3 KB · UTF-8, opens in Excel
Opens with 11 lines of source notes; the table starts on row 13.
Download labour-participation-2012-nations-inquiry.csv - ↗
The publisher’s original
ILO’s own file, on its own site.
SL.TLF.CACT.ZS
What this site changed: Reshaped into one row per country: regional and income-group totals are left out, only the columns listed are kept, each row gets its ISO 3166 code, and some country names are brought to one spelling. No value is recalculated, rescaled or rounded.
Licence: CC BY 4.0 · what it allows, in plain words
Cite this edition
International Labour Organization (ILO) (2012). Labour Force Participation Rate, 2012 [data set], describing 2012. As held by Nations Inquiry, https://nationsinquiry.com/datasets/labour-participation/2012
0636 held
Other years
‹ The year before
Labour Force Participation Rate, 2011187 countries
The year after ›
Labour Force Participation Rate, 2013187 countries
All of them
Labour Force Participation Rate: every year36 held, with the data dictionary, coverage and licence.
How it has moved, charted by country
07Questions
Labour Force Participation Rate, 2012: questions and answers
Which country has the highest labour force participation in Labour Force Participation Rate, 2012?
Madagascar, at 86.358, of the 187 countries in the file.
What year does Labour Force Participation Rate, 2012 describe?
2012.
How many countries does Labour Force Participation Rate, 2012 cover?
187.
Where can I download Labour Force Participation Rate, 2012?
On this page, as a CSV file holding every value exactly as published, or from the publisher’s own site, linked below.
Is Labour Force Participation Rate, 2012 the newest?
No. The newest held here is Labour Force Participation Rate, 2025.