Labour Force Participation Rate by Country
Share of the population aged 15+ that is economically active. Latest values for 190 economies.
Among 187 countries, Qatar has the highest labour force participation rate at 87.0% and Sao Tome and Principe the lowest at 23.3% (latest available readings).
Labour Force Participation Rate by Region
Latest available reading (periods may differ by country). Choose a region or “All countries”.
Labour Force Participation Rate — All Countries
Sorted by latest value. Click headers to re-sort.
| # | Country | Last | Previous | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Qatar | 87.0% | 87.2% | 2025 |
| 2 | Madagascar | 85.5% | 85.5% | 2025 |
| 3 | Solomon Islands | 84.3% | 84.3% | 2025 |
| 4 | Tanzania | 83.7% | 83.7% | 2025 |
| 5 | Nigeria | 82.5% | 82.6% | 2025 |
| 6 | Cambodia | 82.4% | 82.4% | 2025 |
| 7 | North Korea | 82.2% | 82.2% | 2025 |
| 8 | Uganda | 80.0% | 80.0% | 2025 |
| 9 | Niger | 79.7% | 79.6% | 2025 |
| 10 | Mozambique | 78.7% | 78.8% | 2025 |
| 11 | Bolivia | 78.6% | 78.3% | 2025 |
| 12 | United Arab Emirates | 78.6% | 78.5% | 2025 |
| 13 | Eritrea | 78.3% | 78.3% | 2025 |
| 14 | Burundi | 78.3% | 78.5% | 2025 |
| 15 | Liberia | 76.6% | 76.6% | 2025 |
| 16 | Benin | 76.4% | 76.3% | 2025 |
| 17 | Iceland | 74.9% | 75.2% | 2025 |
| 18 | Angola | 74.8% | 74.9% | 2025 |
| 19 | Bahamas | 73.8% | 74.0% | 2025 |
| 20 | South Sudan | 73.4% | 73.5% | 2023 |
| 21 | Central African Republic | 73.4% | 73.4% | 2025 |
| 22 | Kuwait | 73.4% | 73.6% | 2025 |
| 23 | Peru | 72.9% | 72.8% | 2025 |
| 24 | Vietnam | 72.8% | 73.1% | 2025 |
| 25 | Moldova | 72.3% | 72.2% | 2025 |
| 26 | Bahrain | 70.4% | 70.6% | 2025 |
| 27 | New Zealand | 70.4% | 70.6% | 2025 |
| 28 | Paraguay | 70.2% | 70.3% | 2025 |
| 29 | Burkina Faso | 70.0% | 70.1% | 2025 |
| 30 | Singapore | 69.7% | 69.2% | 2025 |
| 31 | Jamaica | 69.6% | 69.4% | 2025 |
| 32 | Botswana | 68.8% | 68.6% | 2025 |
| 33 | Ethiopia | 68.5% | 68.5% | 2025 |
| 34 | Oman | 68.4% | 68.3% | 2025 |
| 35 | St Lucia | 68.3% | 68.2% | 2025 |
| 36 | Indonesia | 68.0% | 67.9% | 2025 |
| 37 | St Vincent and the Grenadines | 67.9% | 68.0% | 2025 |
| 38 | Macao | 67.8% | 68.3% | 2025 |
| 39 | Republic of the Congo | 67.8% | 67.8% | 2025 |
| 40 | Kazakhstan | 67.8% | 70.6% | 2025 |
| 41 | Zimbabwe | 67.7% | 67.7% | 2025 |
| 42 | Kenya | 67.4% | 67.4% | 2025 |
| 43 | Netherlands | 67.2% | 67.5% | 2025 |
| 44 | Ivory Coast | 67.1% | 67.1% | 2025 |
| 45 | Mali | 67.0% | 67.2% | 2025 |
| 46 | Timor-Leste | 67.0% | 66.8% | 2025 |
| 47 | Cyprus | 67.0% | 67.2% | 2025 |
| 48 | Switzerland | 66.7% | 67.1% | 2025 |
| 49 | Thailand | 66.7% | 67.1% | 2025 |
| 50 | Australia | 66.5% | 66.7% | 2025 |
| 51 | Panama | 66.3% | 66.3% | 2025 |
| 52 | Malaysia | 66.1% | 66.1% | 2025 |
| 53 | Laos | 66.1% | 66.0% | 2025 |
| 54 | Nicaragua | 66.1% | 66.0% | 2025 |
| 55 | Norway | 65.6% | 65.8% | 2025 |
| 56 | Israel | 65.5% | 65.5% | 2025 |
| 57 | Cameroon | 65.2% | 65.5% | 2025 |
| 58 | Estonia | 65.1% | 65.4% | 2025 |
| 59 | Saudi Arabia | 65.1% | 65.2% | 2025 |
| 60 | Uruguay | 65.0% | 65.0% | 2025 |
| 61 | Denmark | 64.9% | 65.0% | 2025 |
| 62 | Ireland | 64.8% | 65.0% | 2025 |
| 63 | Dominican Republic | 64.8% | 64.6% | 2025 |
| 64 | Bhutan | 64.8% | 64.9% | 2025 |
| 65 | Guinea-Bissau | 64.8% | 64.8% | 2025 |
| 66 | Barbados | 64.7% | 65.0% | 2025 |
| 67 | Sweden | 64.6% | 64.7% | 2025 |
| 68 | China | 64.6% | 64.9% | 2025 |
| 69 | Canada | 64.5% | 64.7% | 2025 |
| 70 | Ecuador | 64.5% | 64.5% | 2025 |
| 71 | South Korea | 64.4% | 64.5% | 2025 |
| 72 | Georgia | 64.3% | 64.3% | 2025 |
| 73 | DR Congo | 64.3% | 64.4% | 2025 |
| 74 | Albania | 64.3% | 64.0% | 2025 |
| 75 | Brunei | 64.2% | 64.5% | 2025 |
| 76 | Malta | 64.0% | 64.2% | 2025 |
| 77 | Haiti | 63.9% | 64.0% | 2025 |
| 78 | Rwanda | 63.7% | 63.5% | 2025 |
| 79 | Maldives | 63.5% | 63.2% | 2025 |
| 80 | Japan | 63.4% | 63.3% | 2025 |
| 81 | Colombia | 63.4% | 63.5% | 2025 |
| 82 | Azerbaijan | 63.3% | 63.9% | 2025 |
| 83 | Brazil | 63.1% | 63.3% | 2025 |
| 84 | Lithuania | 62.9% | 63.1% | 2025 |
| 85 | Belarus | 62.7% | 63.3% | 2025 |
| 86 | Malawi | 62.6% | 62.9% | 2025 |
| 87 | Chile | 62.3% | 62.3% | 2025 |
| 88 | Guam | 62.3% | 62.3% | 2025 |
| 89 | El Salvador | 62.1% | 61.9% | 2025 |
| 90 | Zambia | 61.9% | 61.9% | 2025 |
| 91 | Argentina | 61.9% | 61.9% | 2025 |
| 92 | United States | 61.7% | 62.0% | 2025 |
| 93 | Mexico | 61.6% | 61.6% | 2025 |
| 94 | Luxembourg | 61.5% | 61.8% | 2025 |
| 95 | United Kingdom | 61.4% | 61.6% | 2025 |
| 96 | Philippines | 61.4% | 61.4% | 2025 |
| 97 | Russia | 61.1% | 61.8% | 2025 |
| 98 | 🌐World | 61.0% | 61.1% | 2025 |
| 99 | Hungary | 60.6% | 60.7% | 2025 |
| 100 | Germany | 60.6% | 60.9% | 2025 |
| 101 | Latvia | 60.5% | 60.8% | 2025 |
| 102 | Equatorial Guinea | 60.5% | 60.9% | 2025 |
| 103 | Slovakia | 60.4% | 60.8% | 2025 |
| 104 | Czech Republic | 60.3% | 60.6% | 2025 |
| 105 | Austria | 60.1% | 60.5% | 2025 |
| 106 | Mongolia | 59.7% | 60.3% | 2025 |
| 107 | Finland | 59.7% | 59.9% | 2025 |
| 108 | Guatemala | 59.6% | 59.7% | 2025 |
| 109 | Chad | 59.4% | 59.6% | 2025 |
| 110 | Armenia | 59.4% | 59.9% | 2025 |
| 111 | Serbia | 59.1% | 59.2% | 2025 |
| 112 | Belize | 59.1% | 56.9% | 2025 |
| 113 | Namibia | 58.8% | 58.9% | 2025 |
| 114 | Bangladesh | 58.8% | 58.9% | 2025 |
| 115 | Mauritius | 58.5% | 58.7% | 2025 |
| 116 | Ghana | 58.5% | 59.1% | 2025 |
| 117 | Poland | 58.3% | 58.7% | 2025 |
| 118 | Portugal | 58.2% | 58.4% | 2025 |
| 119 | Vanuatu | 58.1% | 58.3% | 2025 |
| 120 | Montenegro | 58.0% | 58.2% | 2025 |
| 121 | Togo | 57.8% | 57.9% | 2025 |
| 122 | Trinidad and Tobago | 57.8% | 58.2% | 2025 |
| 123 | Costa Rica | 57.7% | 57.7% | 2025 |
| 124 | Slovenia | 57.6% | 58.0% | 2025 |
| 125 | Uzbekistan | 57.5% | 57.7% | 2025 |
| 126 | Spain | 57.4% | 57.8% | 2025 |
| 127 | Kyrgyzstan | 57.4% | 57.5% | 2025 |
| 128 | European Union | 57.3% | 57.6% | 2025 |
| 129 | Fiji | 57.2% | 57.2% | 2025 |
| 130 | Lesotho | 57.1% | 57.4% | 2025 |
| 131 | Cape Verde | 57.0% | 57.0% | 2025 |
| 132 | Euro Area | 57.0% | 57.3% | 2025 |
| 133 | Honduras | 56.6% | 56.6% | 2025 |
| 134 | New Caledonia | 56.4% | 56.9% | 2025 |
| 135 | Channel Islands | 56.4% | 56.7% | 2025 |
| 136 | Hong Kong | 56.4% | 56.8% | 2025 |
| 137 | Bulgaria | 56.1% | 56.3% | 2025 |
| 138 | Comoros | 55.8% | 55.4% | 2025 |
| 139 | India | 55.7% | 55.6% | 2025 |
| 140 | South Africa | 55.6% | 55.6% | 2025 |
| 141 | France | 55.3% | 55.7% | 2025 |
| 142 | Myanmar | 55.1% | 55.1% | 2025 |
| 143 | Guyana | 55.0% | 55.1% | 2025 |
| 144 | Ukraine | 54.6% | 55.1% | 2021 |
| 145 | Turkey | 54.4% | 54.2% | 2025 |
| 146 | US Virgin Islands | 54.4% | 54.5% | 2025 |
| 147 | Belgium | 54.3% | 54.5% | 2025 |
| 148 | Suriname | 53.8% | 53.8% | 2025 |
| 149 | Sierra Leone | 53.4% | 53.6% | 2025 |
| 150 | Guinea | 52.6% | 52.8% | 2025 |
| 151 | French Polynesia | 52.4% | 52.8% | 2025 |
| 152 | Pakistan | 52.3% | 52.3% | 2025 |
| 153 | Cuba | 52.2% | 52.6% | 2025 |
| 154 | Croatia | 52.1% | 52.4% | 2025 |
| 155 | Papua New Guinea | 52.1% | 52.0% | 2025 |
| 156 | Senegal | 52.0% | 51.9% | 2025 |
| 157 | Greece | 52.0% | 52.3% | 2025 |
| 158 | North Macedonia | 51.9% | 52.2% | 2025 |
| 159 | Venezuela | 51.9% | 52.1% | 2025 |
| 160 | Romania | 51.3% | 51.5% | 2025 |
| 161 | Eswatini | 51.2% | 51.2% | 2025 |
| 162 | Gabon | 51.1% | 51.3% | 2025 |
| 163 | Tonga | 49.8% | 50.2% | 2025 |
| 164 | Italy | 49.3% | 49.6% | 2025 |
| 165 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 49.0% | 49.2% | 2025 |
| 166 | Sri Lanka | 48.5% | 48.6% | 2025 |
| 167 | Libya | 48.0% | 48.3% | 2025 |
| 168 | Gambia | 47.5% | 47.5% | 2025 |
| 169 | Tunisia | 45.2% | 45.5% | 2025 |
| 170 | Palestine | 45.0% | 43.4% | 2022 |
| 171 | Egypt | 44.6% | 44.6% | 2025 |
| 172 | Morocco | 43.9% | 44.1% | 2025 |
| 173 | Lebanon | 43.4% | 43.4% | 2023 |
| 174 | Puerto Rico (US) | 42.8% | 42.6% | 2025 |
| 175 | Samoa | 42.5% | 43.1% | 2025 |
| 176 | Turkmenistan | 42.0% | 42.2% | 2025 |
| 177 | Iraq | 41.5% | 41.6% | 2025 |
| 178 | Iran | 41.0% | 41.3% | 2025 |
| 179 | Algeria | 40.8% | 41.2% | 2025 |
| 180 | Mauritania | 40.8% | 40.9% | 2025 |
| 181 | Jordan | 40.1% | 40.0% | 2025 |
| 182 | Nepal | 39.2% | 39.3% | 2025 |
| 183 | Tajikistan | 38.3% | 38.3% | 2025 |
| 184 | Sudan | 37.5% | 38.4% | 2022 |
| 185 | Afghanistan | 37.5% | 37.5% | 2025 |
| 186 | Syria | 36.9% | 37.0% | 2025 |
| 187 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 33.8% | 33.9% | 2025 |
| 188 | Yemen | 33.1% | 33.2% | 2025 |
| 189 | Djibouti | 31.7% | 31.8% | 2025 |
| 190 | Sao Tome and Principe | 23.3% | 23.4% | 2025 |
Labour Force Participation Rate around the world — in simple words
Overview
Labour Force Participation Rate is available for 187 economies with recent data. The median value is 61.5% and the simple average is 60.5%.
Highest: Qatar (87.0%), Madagascar (85.5%), Solomon Islands (84.3%), Tanzania (83.7%), Nigeria (82.5%).
Lowest: Sao Tome and Principe (23.3%), Djibouti (31.7%), Yemen (33.1%), Somalia, Fed. Rep. (33.8%), Syria (36.9%).
Major economies
Among the 19 major economies tracked here, Singapore (69.7%) has the highest reading and Italy (49.3%) the lowest. Their median is 63.1%.
Labour Force Participation 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 | 64.4% |
| Europe & Central Asia | 49 | 60.1% |
| Latin America & Caribbean | 31 | 63.1% |
| Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 23 | 45.0% |
| North America | 2 | 63.1% |
| South Asia | 6 | 57.2% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 47 | 64.3% |
Understanding Labour Force Participation Rate — a simple guide
What it measures
The share of the population aged 15 and over that is working or looking for work.
How it is calculated
Labour force ÷ population aged 15+ × 100.
A rate of 55% means 55 of every 100 adults are working or looking for work.
Higher participation means a larger available workforce.
Lower participation can reflect ageing, education or fewer women in paid work.
Why it matters for the economy and markets
Participation determines the size of the available workforce and long-run growth potential.
How to read it
Ageing populations, education and female participation drive long-term trends.
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 labour force participation rate measure?
Which country has the highest labour force participation 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.