Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) was 58.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 58.5%.
The figure is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 60.3% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 54.7%, in 1993.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 87th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 56.7% | — |
| 1992 | 55.5% | -2.0% |
| 1993 | 54.7% | -1.5% |
| 1994 | 55.0% | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 55.4% | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 55.7% | +0.7% |
| 1997 | 56.6% | +1.5% |
| 1998 | 57.0% | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 57.4% | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 57.9% | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 58.1% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 58.2% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 58.4% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 58.6% | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 58.7% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 58.7% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 58.6% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 58.6% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 57.2% | -2.4% |
| 2010 | 56.9% | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 56.7% | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 56.9% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 57.2% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 58.2% | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 58.8% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 59.3% | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 59.6% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 60.0% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 60.3% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 59.8% | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 59.0% | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 59.6% | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 59.3% | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 58.9% | -0.8% |
| 2025 | 58.5% | -0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 56.0% | 54.7% | 57.4% | 9 |
| 2000s | 58.3% | 57.2% | 58.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 58.4% | 56.7% | 60.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 59.2% | 58.5% | 59.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More work & labour data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 22,956 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 60.91 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 35,770 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.07 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 111,361 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 100,223 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 57.91 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.47 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.4352 % change on previous year (2027)
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 58.5% 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 60.3% in 2019.
- What is the lowest employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 54.7% in 1993.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%)?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 87th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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.