Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Canada
Canada: Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) was 60.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
60.8%
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
73rd
of 178 countries
All-time high
63.3%
in 2008
All-time low
56.9%
in 1977
Years of data
50
1976–2025
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Canada, 1976–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Canada stood at 60.8%.
That represents a change of down 0.8% on the previous year and down 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Canada peaked at 63.3% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 56.9%, in 1977.
Canada ranks 73rd of 178 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Canada, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 57.1% | — |
| 1977 | 56.9% | -0.5% |
| 1978 | 57.5% | +1.1% |
| 1979 | 58.9% | +2.4% |
| 1980 | 59.4% | +0.9% |
| 1981 | 60.1% | +1.1% |
| 1982 | 57.3% | -4.7% |
| 1983 | 56.9% | -0.6% |
| 1984 | 57.7% | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 58.8% | +1.9% |
| 1986 | 59.8% | +1.7% |
| 1987 | 60.6% | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 61.7% | +1.7% |
| 1989 | 62.2% | +0.9% |
| 1990 | 61.7% | -0.8% |
| 1991 | 59.7% | -3.2% |
| 1992 | 58.3% | -2.3% |
| 1993 | 57.9% | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 58.4% | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 58.7% | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 58.5% | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 59.0% | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 59.7% | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 60.6% | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 61.3% | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 61.1% | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 61.7% | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 62.4% | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 62.6% | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 62.6% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 62.8% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 63.3% | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 63.3% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 61.6% | -2.8% |
| 2010 | 61.6% | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 61.7% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 61.8% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 61.9% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 61.5% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 61.4% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 61.1% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 61.7% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 61.9% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 62.3% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 58.1% | -6.6% |
| 2021 | 60.5% | +4.1% |
| 2022 | 62.0% | +2.5% |
| 2023 | 62.2% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 61.3% | -1.5% |
| 2025 | 60.8% | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 57.6% | 56.9% | 58.9% | 4 |
| 1980s | 59.4% | 56.9% | 62.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 59.2% | 57.9% | 61.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 62.3% | 61.1% | 63.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 61.7% | 61.1% | 62.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 60.8% | 58.1% | 62.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More work & labour data for Canada
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.3281 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.3334 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.3231 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.29 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.6552 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 39,234 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,715 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 26,798 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 26,814 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 53,612 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Canada?
- Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Canada was 60.8% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 63.3% in 2008.
- What is the lowest employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 56.9% in 1977.
- How does Canada rank for employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%)?
- Canada ranks 73rd out of 178 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 50 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Employment to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed.