Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in European Union
European Union: Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) was 54.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in European Union, 1983–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
European Union recorded 54.8% for employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in 2025. That is the highest value across all 43 years on record.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 6.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in European Union peaked at 54.8% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 48.6%, in 1988.
European Union ranks 22nd of 31 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 43 years of available data.
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in European Union, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 48.9% | — |
| 1984 | 49.0% | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 48.7% | -0.7% |
| 1986 | 49.1% | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 49.2% | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 48.6% | -1.2% |
| 1989 | 49.9% | +2.7% |
| 1990 | 50.6% | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 51.3% | +1.2% |
| 1992 | 51.4% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 50.2% | -2.3% |
| 1994 | 49.7% | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 50.3% | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 50.0% | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 49.4% | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 49.8% | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 50.3% | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 50.3% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 50.5% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 50.3% | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 50.3% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 50.2% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 50.6% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 51.4% | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 52.2% | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 52.6% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 51.5% | -2.1% |
| 2010 | 51.2% | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 51.1% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 50.8% | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 50.6% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 50.9% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 51.3% | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 52.0% | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 52.7% | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 53.3% | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 53.7% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 52.7% | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 53.1% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 54.1% | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 54.6% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 54.7% | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 54.8% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 49.1% | 48.6% | 49.9% | 7 |
| 1990s | 50.3% | 49.4% | 51.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 51.0% | 50.2% | 52.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.8% | 50.6% | 53.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 54.0% | 52.7% | 54.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near European Union
More work & labour data for European Union
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 51.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 57.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 63.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 38.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 43.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 40.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 70.5% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 81.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 79.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 75.2% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in European Union?
- Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in European Union was 54.8% 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 European Union?
- The highest recorded value was 54.8% in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) recorded in European Union?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.6% in 1988.
- How does European Union rank for employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%)?
- European Union ranks 22nd out of 31 groups with data for 2025.
- Is employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) rising or falling in European Union?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this European Union 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.
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About this data
Employment to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed.