Employment Rate by Country
Employment to population ratio, ages 15+. Latest values for 190 economies.
Among 187 countries, Qatar has the highest employment rate at 86.9% and Sao Tome and Principe the lowest at 21.2% (latest available readings).
Employment Rate by Region
Latest available reading (periods may differ by country). Choose a region or “All countries”.
Employment Rate — All Countries
Sorted by latest value. Click headers to re-sort.
| # | Country | Last | Previous | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Qatar | 86.9% | 87.1% | 2025 |
| 2 | Solomon Islands | 83.1% | 83.1% | 2025 |
| 3 | Madagascar | 82.9% | 82.9% | 2025 |
| 4 | Tanzania | 82.4% | 82.4% | 2025 |
| 5 | Cambodia | 82.2% | 82.2% | 2025 |
| 6 | Nigeria | 80.0% | 80.1% | 2025 |
| 7 | Niger | 79.4% | 79.3% | 2025 |
| 8 | North Korea | 79.2% | 79.3% | 2025 |
| 9 | Uganda | 77.8% | 77.8% | 2025 |
| 10 | Burundi | 77.5% | 77.8% | 2025 |
| 11 | United Arab Emirates | 76.9% | 76.8% | 2025 |
| 12 | Bolivia | 76.3% | 75.8% | 2025 |
| 13 | Benin | 75.1% | 75.0% | 2025 |
| 14 | Liberia | 74.4% | 74.4% | 2025 |
| 15 | Eritrea | 73.7% | 73.7% | 2025 |
| 16 | Mozambique | 73.5% | 73.5% | 2025 |
| 17 | Iceland | 72.2% | 72.4% | 2025 |
| 18 | Kuwait | 71.8% | 72.0% | 2025 |
| 19 | Vietnam | 71.7% | 72.0% | 2025 |
| 20 | Moldova | 71.2% | 71.1% | 2025 |
| 21 | Bahrain | 69.7% | 69.8% | 2025 |
| 22 | Peru | 69.1% | 69.0% | 2025 |
| 23 | Central African Republic | 68.8% | 68.8% | 2025 |
| 24 | Singapore | 67.7% | 67.3% | 2025 |
| 25 | Burkina Faso | 67.6% | 67.7% | 2025 |
| 26 | Jamaica | 67.3% | 67.3% | 2025 |
| 27 | Bahamas | 67.0% | 67.3% | 2025 |
| 28 | Paraguay | 66.9% | 66.3% | 2025 |
| 29 | New Zealand | 66.8% | 67.2% | 2025 |
| 30 | Macao | 66.3% | 66.7% | 2025 |
| 31 | Ethiopia | 66.2% | 66.2% | 2025 |
| 32 | Thailand | 66.2% | 66.6% | 2025 |
| 33 | Oman | 66.2% | 66.1% | 2025 |
| 34 | Timor-Leste | 65.9% | 65.7% | 2025 |
| 35 | Indonesia | 65.8% | 65.7% | 2025 |
| 36 | Ivory Coast | 65.5% | 65.6% | 2025 |
| 37 | Laos | 65.3% | 65.2% | 2025 |
| 38 | Mali | 65.1% | 65.2% | 2025 |
| 39 | Netherlands | 64.6% | 65.0% | 2025 |
| 40 | Kazakhstan | 64.5% | 67.2% | 2025 |
| 41 | South Sudan | 64.3% | 64.4% | 2023 |
| 42 | Angola | 64.2% | 64.4% | 2025 |
| 43 | Australia | 63.8% | 64.1% | 2025 |
| 44 | Kenya | 63.7% | 63.7% | 2025 |
| 45 | Cyprus | 63.7% | 63.9% | 2025 |
| 46 | Malaysia | 63.6% | 63.6% | 2025 |
| 47 | Switzerland | 63.5% | 64.2% | 2025 |
| 48 | Israel | 63.2% | 63.1% | 2025 |
| 49 | Saudi Arabia | 63.1% | 62.9% | 2025 |
| 50 | Guinea-Bissau | 63.1% | 63.0% | 2025 |
| 51 | Cameroon | 62.8% | 63.2% | 2025 |
| 52 | Nicaragua | 62.7% | 62.7% | 2025 |
| 53 | Bhutan | 62.7% | 62.8% | 2025 |
| 54 | South Korea | 62.6% | 62.7% | 2025 |
| 55 | Norway | 62.6% | 63.2% | 2025 |
| 56 | Ecuador | 62.4% | 62.3% | 2025 |
| 57 | Malta | 62.1% | 62.2% | 2025 |
| 58 | Japan | 61.9% | 61.7% | 2025 |
| 59 | Ireland | 61.8% | 62.2% | 2025 |
| 60 | St Lucia | 61.8% | 61.3% | 2025 |
| 61 | China | 61.6% | 61.9% | 2025 |
| 62 | Dominican Republic | 61.5% | 61.2% | 2025 |
| 63 | DR Congo | 61.5% | 61.6% | 2025 |
| 64 | Zimbabwe | 61.4% | 61.3% | 2025 |
| 65 | Denmark | 61.3% | 61.6% | 2025 |
| 66 | Brunei | 60.8% | 61.2% | 2025 |
| 67 | Panama | 60.8% | 60.7% | 2025 |
| 68 | Maldives | 60.6% | 60.5% | 2025 |
| 69 | Belarus | 60.6% | 61.1% | 2025 |
| 70 | Barbados | 60.5% | 60.8% | 2025 |
| 71 | Uruguay | 60.1% | 59.7% | 2025 |
| 72 | Canada | 60.1% | 60.6% | 2025 |
| 73 | El Salvador | 60.1% | 59.9% | 2025 |
| 74 | Philippines | 60.0% | 60.1% | 2025 |
| 75 | Mexico | 60.0% | 60.0% | 2025 |
| 76 | Azerbaijan | 59.8% | 60.3% | 2025 |
| 77 | Russia | 59.8% | 60.3% | 2025 |
| 78 | Estonia | 59.7% | 60.5% | 2025 |
| 79 | Malawi | 59.4% | 59.7% | 2025 |
| 80 | Brazil | 59.4% | 59.0% | 2025 |
| 81 | United States | 59.1% | 59.5% | 2025 |
| 82 | Sweden | 59.0% | 59.3% | 2025 |
| 83 | Chad | 58.8% | 59.0% | 2025 |
| 84 | Guam | 58.8% | 59.0% | 2025 |
| 85 | Lithuania | 58.7% | 58.8% | 2025 |
| 86 | Czech Republic | 58.6% | 59.0% | 2025 |
| 87 | United Kingdom | 58.5% | 58.9% | 2025 |
| 88 | Germany | 58.3% | 58.8% | 2025 |
| 89 | Zambia | 58.3% | 58.3% | 2025 |
| 90 | Colombia | 58.1% | 57.4% | 2025 |
| 91 | Guatemala | 58.1% | 58.1% | 2025 |
| 92 | 🌐World | 58.1% | 58.2% | 2025 |
| 93 | Hungary | 57.8% | 57.9% | 2025 |
| 94 | Luxembourg | 57.6% | 57.8% | 2025 |
| 95 | Argentina | 57.5% | 57.4% | 2025 |
| 96 | Albania | 57.2% | 57.2% | 2025 |
| 97 | Slovakia | 57.2% | 57.6% | 2025 |
| 98 | Ghana | 56.8% | 57.4% | 2025 |
| 99 | Austria | 56.8% | 57.4% | 2025 |
| 100 | Chile | 56.7% | 56.9% | 2025 |
| 101 | Togo | 56.7% | 56.8% | 2025 |
| 102 | Poland | 56.6% | 57.0% | 2025 |
| 103 | Bangladesh | 56.6% | 56.8% | 2025 |
| 104 | Mongolia | 56.6% | 57.2% | 2025 |
| 105 | Latvia | 56.5% | 56.6% | 2025 |
| 106 | Georgia | 56.5% | 56.9% | 2025 |
| 107 | Rwanda | 56.4% | 56.3% | 2025 |
| 108 | Trinidad and Tobago | 55.8% | 56.2% | 2025 |
| 109 | Slovenia | 55.7% | 55.8% | 2025 |
| 110 | St Vincent and the Grenadines | 55.7% | 55.7% | 2025 |
| 111 | Equatorial Guinea | 55.5% | 55.9% | 2025 |
| 112 | Kyrgyzstan | 55.3% | 55.5% | 2025 |
| 113 | Mauritius | 55.2% | 55.4% | 2025 |
| 114 | Vanuatu | 55.2% | 55.4% | 2025 |
| 115 | Serbia | 54.9% | 54.9% | 2025 |
| 116 | Uzbekistan | 54.8% | 55.1% | 2025 |
| 117 | Hong Kong | 54.8% | 55.1% | 2025 |
| 118 | Portugal | 54.6% | 54.6% | 2025 |
| 119 | Haiti | 54.4% | 54.6% | 2025 |
| 120 | Republic of the Congo | 54.3% | 54.3% | 2025 |
| 121 | Bulgaria | 54.1% | 53.9% | 2025 |
| 122 | Fiji | 54.1% | 54.2% | 2025 |
| 123 | Finland | 54.0% | 54.8% | 2025 |
| 124 | European Union | 53.9% | 54.2% | 2025 |
| 125 | Belize | 53.9% | 51.9% | 2025 |
| 126 | Honduras | 53.8% | 53.8% | 2025 |
| 127 | Costa Rica | 53.7% | 53.7% | 2025 |
| 128 | Comoros | 53.6% | 53.3% | 2025 |
| 129 | Myanmar | 53.4% | 53.5% | 2025 |
| 130 | Euro Area | 53.4% | 53.6% | 2025 |
| 131 | India | 53.3% | 53.3% | 2025 |
| 132 | Channel Islands | 52.9% | 53.3% | 2025 |
| 133 | Botswana | 52.0% | 52.2% | 2025 |
| 134 | Armenia | 51.7% | 52.5% | 2025 |
| 135 | Sierra Leone | 51.7% | 51.9% | 2025 |
| 136 | Spain | 51.5% | 51.2% | 2025 |
| 137 | Cuba | 51.3% | 51.7% | 2025 |
| 138 | France | 51.2% | 51.5% | 2025 |
| 139 | Belgium | 51.1% | 51.4% | 2025 |
| 140 | Papua New Guinea | 50.7% | 50.6% | 2025 |
| 141 | Senegal | 50.6% | 50.4% | 2025 |
| 142 | Cape Verde | 50.2% | 50.3% | 2025 |
| 143 | New Caledonia | 50.1% | 50.6% | 2025 |
| 144 | Montenegro | 50.1% | 50.5% | 2025 |
| 145 | Guinea | 49.9% | 50.1% | 2025 |
| 146 | Turkey | 49.7% | 49.4% | 2025 |
| 147 | Suriname | 49.6% | 49.7% | 2025 |
| 148 | Croatia | 49.5% | 49.7% | 2025 |
| 149 | Pakistan | 49.5% | 49.4% | 2025 |
| 150 | Ukraine | 49.3% | 49.9% | 2021 |
| 151 | Venezuela | 49.2% | 49.3% | 2025 |
| 152 | Tonga | 48.8% | 49.2% | 2025 |
| 153 | Guyana | 48.4% | 48.6% | 2025 |
| 154 | Romania | 48.3% | 48.7% | 2025 |
| 155 | US Virgin Islands | 48.1% | 48.2% | 2025 |
| 156 | Lesotho | 47.8% | 48.0% | 2025 |
| 157 | Greece | 47.5% | 47.1% | 2025 |
| 158 | Namibia | 47.5% | 47.6% | 2025 |
| 159 | Sri Lanka | 46.6% | 46.5% | 2025 |
| 160 | French Polynesia | 46.3% | 46.7% | 2025 |
| 161 | Italy | 46.2% | 46.4% | 2025 |
| 162 | North Macedonia | 45.6% | 45.8% | 2025 |
| 163 | Gambia | 44.4% | 44.4% | 2025 |
| 164 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 43.6% | 44.0% | 2025 |
| 165 | Egypt | 41.5% | 41.6% | 2025 |
| 166 | Gabon | 40.8% | 41.0% | 2025 |
| 167 | Samoa | 40.4% | 41.0% | 2025 |
| 168 | Turkmenistan | 40.2% | 40.5% | 2025 |
| 169 | Puerto Rico (US) | 40.2% | 40.2% | 2025 |
| 170 | Morocco | 40.0% | 40.1% | 2025 |
| 171 | Libya | 39.0% | 39.1% | 2025 |
| 172 | Lebanon | 38.7% | 38.6% | 2023 |
| 173 | Tunisia | 38.4% | 38.5% | 2025 |
| 174 | South Africa | 37.6% | 37.6% | 2025 |
| 175 | Iran | 37.6% | 37.9% | 2025 |
| 176 | Mauritania | 36.6% | 36.7% | 2025 |
| 177 | Algeria | 36.0% | 36.4% | 2025 |
| 178 | Tajikistan | 35.6% | 35.6% | 2025 |
| 179 | Nepal | 35.1% | 35.2% | 2025 |
| 180 | Iraq | 35.1% | 35.2% | 2025 |
| 181 | Sudan | 34.7% | 34.1% | 2022 |
| 182 | Palestine | 34.0% | 31.9% | 2022 |
| 183 | Eswatini | 33.7% | 33.5% | 2025 |
| 184 | Jordan | 33.4% | 33.3% | 2025 |
| 185 | Afghanistan | 32.5% | 32.4% | 2025 |
| 186 | Syria | 31.9% | 32.0% | 2025 |
| 187 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 27.4% | 27.5% | 2025 |
| 188 | Yemen | 27.4% | 27.6% | 2025 |
| 189 | Djibouti | 23.5% | 23.5% | 2025 |
| 190 | Sao Tome and Principe | 21.2% | 21.3% | 2025 |
Employment Rate around the world — in simple words
Overview
Employment Rate is available for 187 economies with recent data. The median value is 57.5% and the simple average is 56.6%.
Highest: Qatar (86.9%), Solomon Islands (83.1%), Madagascar (82.9%), Tanzania (82.4%), Cambodia (82.2%).
Lowest: Sao Tome and Principe (21.2%), Djibouti (23.5%), Yemen (27.4%), Somalia, Fed. Rep. (27.4%), Syria (31.9%).
Major economies
Among the 19 major economies tracked here, Singapore (67.7%) has the highest reading and South Africa (37.6%) the lowest. Their median is 60.0%.
Employment Rate — Regional Medians
Median of the latest readings of countries in each World Bank region. The median is the middle value — half the countries are above it and half below.
| Region | Countries | Median |
|---|---|---|
| East Asia & Pacific | 29 | 61.9% |
| Europe & Central Asia | 49 | 56.5% |
| Latin America & Caribbean | 31 | 58.1% |
| Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 23 | 39.0% |
| North America | 2 | 59.6% |
| South Asia | 6 | 54.9% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 47 | 58.8% |
Understanding Employment Rate — a simple guide
What it measures
Employed people as a share of the population aged 15 and over.
How it is calculated
Employed people ÷ population aged 15+ × 100.
A rate of 52% means 52 of every 100 adults have a job.
A higher rate means more of the population is working.
A lower rate means fewer adults are employed.
Why it matters for the economy and markets
It complements the unemployment rate by capturing people who have left the labour force.
How to read it
Read alongside participation: a stable unemployment rate with a falling employment rate can mean people stopped looking for work.
How to use the chart
Use the 5Y / 10Y / 25Y / Max buttons to change the time range, or drag the slider under the chart. Hover (or tap) on the line to see the exact value for any period. Dashed lines and hatched bars are IMF projections, not actual data. The “Download CSV” button gives you the full data series.
Frequently asked questions
What does employment rate measure?
Which country has the highest employment rate?
Data are sourced from official international organisations (IMF, World Bank, BIS) and national authorities, and are shown for educational and informational purposes only. They are not investment advice and no recommendation is made. Figures may be revised by the source; IMF figures for the current and future years are projections. This page was last updated on Saturday, October 17, 2026.