Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in East Asia & Pacific
East Asia & Pacific: Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) was 62.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in East Asia & Pacific, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in East Asia & Pacific stood at 62.7%. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and down 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in East Asia & Pacific peaked at 72.4% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 62.7%, in 2025.
That places East Asia & Pacific 10th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in East Asia & Pacific, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 72.4% | — |
| 1992 | 72.2% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 71.6% | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 71.2% | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 70.9% | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 70.5% | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 70.0% | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 69.5% | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 69.0% | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 68.7% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 68.2% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 67.7% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 67.2% | -0.6% |
| 2004 | 67.1% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 66.8% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 66.6% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 66.7% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 66.4% | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 66.1% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 66.1% | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 66.2% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 66.0% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 65.7% | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 65.5% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 65.3% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 65.0% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 64.7% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 64.7% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 64.4% | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 62.7% | -2.6% |
| 2021 | 63.5% | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 63.1% | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 63.4% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 62.9% | -0.8% |
| 2025 | 62.7% | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 70.8% | 69.0% | 72.4% | 9 |
| 2000s | 67.2% | 66.1% | 68.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 65.4% | 64.4% | 66.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 63.1% | 62.7% | 63.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near East Asia & Pacific
- 7 Niger 79.4% compare
- 8 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of 79.2% compare
- 9 Uganda 77.8% compare
- 10 Burundi 77.5% compare
- 11 United Arab Emirates 76.9% compare
- 12 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 76.3% compare
- 13 Benin 75.1% compare
More work & labour data for East Asia & Pacific
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 65.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 43.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 49.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 46.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 67.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 79.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 58.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 73.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 72.3% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 80.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in East Asia & Pacific?
- Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in East Asia & Pacific was 62.7% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) recorded in East Asia & Pacific?
- The highest recorded value was 72.4% in 1991.
- What is the lowest employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) recorded in East Asia & Pacific?
- The lowest recorded value was 62.7% in 2025.
- How does East Asia & Pacific rank for employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%)?
- East Asia & Pacific ranks 10th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) rising or falling in East Asia & Pacific?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this East Asia & Pacific data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Employment to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed.