Canada vs China: Labor force participation rate
Canada
64.5%
in 2025
China
64.6%
in 2025
Canada rank
69th
China rank
68th
Labor force participation rate over time
- Canada
- China
How they compare
China currently reports 64.6% against 64.5% in Canada, a difference of 0.1%.
Across all 36 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
Canada ranks 69th and China ranks 68th of 186 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Canada | China | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 65.1% | 77.0% | 11.9% | China |
| 2000s | 66.6% | 72.8% | 6.1% | China |
| 2010s | 66.1% | 69.4% | 3.2% | China |
| 2020s | 64.9% | 65.7% | 0.8% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher labor force participation rate, Canada or China?
- China, at 64.6% against 64.5% in Canada as of 2025.
- What is the difference in labor force participation rate between Canada and China?
- 0.1%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Canada and China?
- 36 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2025.
- How do Canada and China rank globally for labor force participation rate?
- Canada ranks 69th and China ranks 68th 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).