ILO · Labour Force Participation Rate
Labour force participation by country
What share of adults are working or looking for work?
Qatar placed first of the 182 countries compared in 2025, at 87.013%, and São Tomé and Príncipe last, at 23.342%. In the middle country the figure was 61.657%. Among the 182 countries measured in every edition since 1990, the middle one moved from 61.250% to 61.657%.
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Part ofWork & Labour
Labour force participation · 2025
Context statistic
Highest of 182Qatar
87.013%012025 · position · derived
Who leads
The three countries at the highest end of 182 compared, the three at the other end, and the first on each continent.
1Photo: Haakon S. Krohn derivative work: JamesA · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2Photo: Bernard Gagnon derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
3Photo: Nash Belarus · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Lowest in 2025
- 182
São Tomé and Príncipe23.342% - 181
Djibouti31.744% - 180
Yemen33.103%
Positions out of 182. Where a country sits says how it compares with the others measured, and nothing about why.
Highest on each continent
- Africa
Madagascar85.495% - Americas
Bolivia78.626% - AsiaQatar87.013%
- Europe
Iceland74.926% - Oceania
Solomon Islands84.296% - Every region
02Every measured country
Labour force participation on a map
Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.
Darker is a higher value — the better end.
- 23.342–52.369%
- 52.610–59.142%
- 59.388–64.263%
- 64.306–67.848%
- 67.900–87.013%
- No reading in 2025 (5 measured in an earlier edition)
- Asia
63.868%
the middle country, of 48 measured · 52 members
Qatar87.013%Yemen33.103%Highest and lowest reading in Asia.
- Americas
63.139%
the middle country, of 33 measured · 48 members
Bolivia78.626%
Puerto Rico42.779%Highest and lowest reading in Americas.
- Africa
61.933%
the middle country, of 51 measured · 55 members
Madagascar85.495%São Tomé and Príncipe23.342%Highest and lowest reading in Africa.
- Europe
60.422%
the middle country, of 39 measured · 49 members
Iceland74.926%
Bosnia and Herzegovina48.991%Highest and lowest reading in Europe.
- Oceania
57.160%
the middle country, of 11 measured · 21 members
Solomon Islands84.296%
Samoa42.534%Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.
- Every region
22 sub-regions, highest middle country first
- Eastern Africa
67.552%
the middle country, of 16 measured · 19 members
Madagascar85.495%Djibouti31.744%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.
- South-eastern Asia
66.678%
the middle country, of 11 measured · 11 members
Cambodia82.392%
Myanmar55.088%Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.
- Western Asia
64.705%
the middle country, of 16 measured · 19 members
Qatar87.013%Yemen33.103%Highest and lowest reading in Western Asia.
- Caribbean
64.685%
the middle country, of 11 measured · 24 members
Bahamas73.775%Puerto Rico42.779%Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.
- Northern Europe
64.595%
the middle country, of 11 measured · 13 members
Iceland74.926%Channel Islands56.356%
Highest and lowest reading in Northern Europe.
- Eastern Asia
64.351%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 8 members
North Korea82.152%
Hong Kong56.356%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Asia.
- Middle Africa
64.306%
the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members
Angola74.786%São Tomé and Príncipe23.342%Highest and lowest reading in Middle Africa.
- South America
63.269%
the middle country, of 12 measured · 12 members
Bolivia78.626%
Venezuela51.927%Highest and lowest reading in South America.
- Western Africa
61.669%
the middle country, of 16 measured · 16 members
Nigeria82.517%
Mauritania40.772%Highest and lowest reading in Western Africa.
- Central America
60.614%
the middle country, of 8 measured · 8 members
Panama66.304%
Honduras56.556%Highest and lowest reading in Central America.
- Western Europe
60.571%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 9 members
Netherlands67.248%
Belgium54.274%Highest and lowest reading in Western Europe.
- Eastern Europe
60.422%
the middle country, of 9 measured · 10 members
Moldova72.290%
Romania51.331%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Europe.
- Southern Europe
57.488%
the middle country, of 12 measured · 17 members
Albania64.263%Bosnia and Herzegovina48.991%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Europe.
- Central Asia
57.366%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
Kazakhstan67.770%
Tajikistan38.276%Highest and lowest reading in Central Asia.
- Melanesia
57.160%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
Solomon Islands84.296%
Papua New Guinea52.070%Highest and lowest reading in Melanesia.
- Southern Africa
57.117%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
Botswana68.798%
Eswatini51.191%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Africa.
- Southern Asia
52.335%
the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members
Bhutan64.820%
Afghanistan37.457%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Asia.
- Northern Africa
44.568%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 6 members
Libya47.963%
Algeria40.784%Highest and lowest reading in Northern Africa.
- Australia and New Zealand
2 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, New Zealand.
New Zealand70.352%
Australia66.537%Highest and lowest reading in Australia and New Zealand.
- Micronesia
1 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: Guam.
Guam62.265%Highest and lowest reading in Micronesia.
- Northern America
2 of 4 measured — too few for a middle: Canada, United States.
Canada64.516%
United States61.704%Highest and lowest reading in Northern America.
- Polynesia
3 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: French Polynesia, Samoa, Tonga.
French Polynesia52.369%Samoa42.534%Highest and lowest reading in Polynesia.
03The whole field at once
The spread
182 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 61.657%; a quarter are above 66.908%, and a quarter below 55.405%. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.
04All 187 ever measured
Every country
In order, highest value first. “=” marks a position shared with another country. International Labour Organization (ILO) ranks nobody on this measure; the position is derived here by ordering the published values. This counts paid and job-seeking work only. The unpaid domestic and care work that occupies much of the world’s adult population is invisible here, so a low rate means few people in the measured labour market rather than few people working. Compare a country’s figure with its female rate to see how much of the gap is women.
Showing 25 of 187 countries
Values for 2025. The change column compares 2025 with 2024 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.
051990–2025 · 36 reference years
Over time
Each point is one reference year from 1990. Participation changes with education, retirement ages and — most sharply — with how many women are in paid work.
- the middle country
- the middle half of countries
- the middle of the 182 countries measured every time
- each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
| Year | Countries | Middle country | Middle half | Measured every time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 182 | 61.657% | 55.405% – 66.908% | 61.657% |
| 2024 | 182 | 61.843% | 55.433% – 67.107% | 61.843% |
| 2023 | 184 | 61.777% | 54.940% – 67.270% | 61.777% |
| 2022 | 186 | 61.462% | 54.145% – 66.626% | 61.488% |
| 2021 | 187 | 60.631% | 53.403% – 65.744% | 60.847% |
| 2020 | 187 | 60.151% | 52.976% – 65.825% | 60.364% |
| 2019 | 187 | 61.203% | 54.749% – 66.824% | 61.503% |
| 2018 | 187 | 61.306% | 55.231% – 66.857% | 61.334% |
| 2017 | 187 | 60.659% | 55.382% – 66.430% | 60.726% |
| 2016 | 187 | 61.185% | 55.417% – 66.620% | 61.327% |
| 2015 | 187 | 61.413% | 55.557% – 66.894% | 61.549% |
| 2014 | 187 | 61.336% | 55.091% – 66.902% | 61.616% |
| 2013 | 187 | 61.446% | 54.757% – 67.052% | 61.515% |
| 2012 | 187 | 61.256% | 54.572% – 67.169% | 61.528% |
| 2011 | 187 | 61.190% | 54.328% – 67.132% | 61.328% |
| 2010 | 187 | 60.710% | 54.464% – 67.046% | 60.881% |
| 2009 | 187 | 60.983% | 54.847% – 67.643% | 61.021% |
| 2008 | 187 | 60.958% | 54.642% – 67.866% | 61.081% |
| 2007 | 187 | 61.122% | 54.216% – 67.706% | 61.174% |
| 2006 | 187 | 61.143% | 54.201% – 67.446% | 61.208% |
| 2005 | 187 | 61.100% | 54.616% – 67.199% | 61.246% |
| 2004 | 187 | 60.964% | 54.505% – 67.446% | 61.311% |
| 2003 | 187 | 60.879% | 54.854% – 67.620% | 61.075% |
| 2002 | 187 | 60.881% | 54.607% – 67.526% | 61.220% |
| 2001 | 187 | 61.224% | 54.755% – 67.703% | 61.287% |
| 2000 | 187 | 61.163% | 54.904% – 67.691% | 61.264% |
| 1999 | 187 | 61.067% | 54.557% – 67.712% | 61.138% |
| 1998 | 187 | 60.992% | 55.025% – 68.007% | 61.035% |
| 1997 | 187 | 61.157% | 54.984% – 68.051% | 61.213% |
| 1996 | 187 | 61.304% | 54.798% – 67.971% | 61.409% |
| 1995 | 187 | 61.511% | 55.026% – 67.998% | 61.541% |
| 1994 | 187 | 61.318% | 55.073% – 68.238% | 61.538% |
| 1993 | 187 | 61.278% | 55.137% – 67.976% | 61.355% |
| 1992 | 187 | 61.401% | 55.411% – 67.921% | 61.500% |
| 1991 | 187 | 60.979% | 55.385% – 68.205% | 61.358% |
| 1990 | 187 | 61.030% | 55.241% – 67.693% | 61.250% |
062024 → 2025
Who rose and fell
The biggest changes in value between the two newest editions — reference years recalculated in one report, not two separate publications. Places are shown second, because they also move when other countries do.
Improved most
before → afterDeclined most
before → after- Kazakhstan70.587% → 67.770% · 25th → 39th−2.817
Russia61.824% → 61.113% · 92nd → 96th−0.711
Mongolia60.312% → 59.689% · 104th → 104th−0.623
Azerbaijan63.901% → 63.288% · 77th → 81st−0.613- Samoa43.084% → 42.534% · 167th → 168th−0.550
182 countries were measured in both 2024 and 2025.
07Across every edition
Labour force participation in records
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading on record
90.094%
Population aged 15+ in the labour force (%)
Lowest reading on record
23.123%
Population aged 15+ in the labour force (%)
Biggest improvement between editions
+14.605
69.919% → 84.524%
Biggest decline between editions
−15.060
68.799% → 53.739%
Most improved since first measured
+14.107
49.873% → 63.980%
At the top most often
15 of 36
editions, alone at the first-listed end
08The measure
About labour force participation
The labour force participation rate is the share of everyone aged 15 and over who is either working or looking for work. It measures how much of a country’s adult population is economically active at all, before any question of whether they found a job.
What the number is: Population aged 15+ in the labour force (%).
09Where it fits
Connections
Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.
In the Country Index
Context, with no vote
This statistic is published in full under Work & Labour, but does not help decide any Country Index standing.
Moves with
Where labour force participation is higher, these tend to be higher too.
- Employment-to-Population RatioKeyILO · 182 countries in commonρ 0.96
- Female Labour Force Participation RateILO · 182 countries in commonρ 0.87
Moves against
Where labour force participation is higher, these tend to be lower.
- Youth Unemployment RateILO · 182 countries in commonρ −0.45
- Unemployment RateKeyILO · 182 countries in commonρ −0.45
Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 378 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.
10Keep reading
Explore further
The subject
The countries at either end
11Questions
Labour force participation: questions and answers
Which country has the highest labour force participation?
Qatar, at 87.013%, among the 182 countries compared in 2025.
Which country has the lowest labour force participation?
São Tomé and Príncipe, at 23.342%, among the 182 countries compared in 2025.
How many countries does the Labour Force Participation Rate cover?
182 in 2025, and 187 at least once across all editions. The number measured varies from 182 to 187 between editions.
What is the world average labour force participation?
This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 182 compared in 2025, the figure was 61.657%.
Is this International Labour Organization (ILO)’s own ranking?
No. International Labour Organization (ILO) publishes the values but ranks nobody; the position on this page is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values, and equal values share a position.
How often is the Labour Force Participation Rate published?
This site holds 36 reference years, 1990–2025, all recalculated in International Labour Organization (ILO)’s 2026 report on one method — not 36 separate publications.
Where does the data come from, and can I download it?
From International Labour Organization (ILO), under CC BY 4.0. An ILO modelled estimate, pulled through the World Bank’s indicator API (SL.TLF.CACT.ZS). Modelled rather than measured so that one definition applies to every country. Every edition is on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, and downloads as a CSV file with every value unrounded.
12Method
Sources, method and citation
Source
Labour Force Participation Rate — International Labour Organization (ILO)
An ILO modelled estimate, pulled through the World Bank’s indicator API (SL.TLF.CACT.ZS). Modelled rather than measured so that one definition applies to every country.
Newest edition
Report year 2025Data year 2025
Cite the source as: International Labour Organization. ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST). Geneva: ILOSTAT.
Licence: CC BY 4.0, checked 2026-09-10.
How this page reads the numbers
- International Labour Organization (ILO) ranks nobody on this measure. The position is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values; equal values share a position.
- Which end is better follows the publisher’s own reading of the measure.
- A country is named at an end only when it holds that value alone. Where several share it, the page says how many and names none first.
- Values are stored exactly as published and trimmed only for display. “The middle country” is the median of the countries measured, not a world average.
The file itself, column by column — where it came from, what each column holds, and every edition as a CSV — is on its dataset page.
Photographs
The countries at the top of this statistic, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Qatar — Haakon S. Krohn derivative work: JamesA, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Madagascar — Bernard Gagnon derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Solomon Islands — Nash Belarus, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Labour force participation by country: Labour Force Participation Rate, data from International Labour Organization (ILO). https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/labour-participation