Canada vs Sweden: Labor force participation rate
Canada
64.5%
in 2025
Sweden
64.6%
in 2025
Canada rank
69th
Sweden rank
67th
Labor force participation rate over time
- Canada
- Sweden
How they compare
Sweden currently reports 64.6% against 64.5% in Canada, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 36 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Sweden ahead.
Canada ranks 69th and Sweden ranks 67th of 186 countries.
Canada has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Canada | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 65.1% | 63.8% | 1.3% | Canada |
| 2000s | 66.6% | 63.0% | 3.6% | Canada |
| 2010s | 66.1% | 63.9% | 2.2% | Canada |
| 2020s | 64.9% | 64.5% | 0.3% | Canada |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher labor force participation rate, Canada or Sweden?
- Sweden, at 64.6% against 64.5% in Canada as of 2025.
- What is the difference in labor force participation rate between Canada and Sweden?
- 0.1%, with Sweden ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Canada and Sweden?
- 36 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2025.
- How do Canada and Sweden rank globally for labor force participation rate?
- Canada ranks 69th and Sweden ranks 67th 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).