Australia vs Malaysia: Labor force participation rate
Australia
66.5%
in 2025
Malaysia
66.1%
in 2025
Australia rank
50th
Malaysia rank
52nd
Labor force participation rate over time
- Australia
- Malaysia
How they compare
Australia currently reports 66.5% against 66.1% in Malaysia, a difference of 0.4%.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 36 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Australia ahead.
Australia ranks 50th and Malaysia ranks 52nd of 186 countries.
Australia has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | Malaysia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 63.2% | 57.6% | 5.6% | Australia |
| 2000s | 64.3% | 60.3% | 4.0% | Australia |
| 2010s | 65.3% | 64.2% | 1.1% | Australia |
| 2020s | 66.4% | 66.0% | 0.4% | Australia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher labor force participation rate, Australia or Malaysia?
- Australia, at 66.5% against 66.1% in Malaysia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in labor force participation rate between Australia and Malaysia?
- 0.4%, with Australia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and Malaysia?
- 36 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2025.
- How do Australia and Malaysia rank globally for labor force participation rate?
- Australia ranks 50th and Malaysia ranks 52nd of 186 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Labor force participation rate. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of the working-age population (ages 15 and over) who are economically active (employed or unemployed).