Malaysia vs Norway: Labor force participation rate
Malaysia
66.1%
in 2025
Norway
65.6%
in 2025
Malaysia rank
52nd
Norway rank
55th
Labor force participation rate over time
- Malaysia
- Norway
How they compare
Malaysia currently reports 66.1% against 65.6% in Norway, a difference of 0.5%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 36 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Norway ahead.
Malaysia ranks 52nd and Norway ranks 55th of 186 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Malaysia averaged higher in 1 and Norway in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malaysia | Norway | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 57.6% | 63.8% | 6.2% | Norway |
| 2000s | 60.3% | 67.7% | 7.4% | Norway |
| 2010s | 64.2% | 66.5% | 2.3% | Norway |
| 2020s | 66.0% | 65.8% | 0.2% | Malaysia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher labor force participation rate, Malaysia or Norway?
- Malaysia, at 66.1% against 65.6% in Norway as of 2025.
- What is the difference in labor force participation rate between Malaysia and Norway?
- 0.5%, with Malaysia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malaysia and Norway?
- 36 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2025.
- How do Malaysia and Norway rank globally for labor force participation rate?
- Malaysia ranks 52nd and Norway ranks 55th 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).