Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Ireland
Ireland: Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) was 63.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
63.1%
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
57th
of 178 countries
All-time high
63.7%
in 2023
All-time low
43.8%
in 1985
Years of data
43
1983–2025
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Ireland, 1983–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Ireland stood at 63.1%.
The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 13.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Ireland peaked at 63.7% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 43.8%, in 1985.
That places Ireland 57th out of 178 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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 Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 46.9% | — |
| 1984 | 45.1% | -3.7% |
| 1985 | 43.8% | -3.0% |
| 1986 | 43.8% | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 43.9% | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 43.9% | -0.0% |
| 1989 | 44.2% | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 45.5% | +2.9% |
| 1991 | 44.8% | -1.5% |
| 1992 | 44.7% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 45.0% | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 46.1% | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 47.5% | +3.0% |
| 1996 | 48.4% | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 49.8% | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 52.1% | +4.7% |
| 1999 | 54.6% | +4.8% |
| 2000 | 56.4% | +3.4% |
| 2001 | 57.0% | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 57.1% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 57.0% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 57.4% | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 58.9% | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 60.0% | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 63.3% | +5.5% |
| 2008 | 61.5% | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 56.0% | -8.9% |
| 2010 | 53.5% | -4.5% |
| 2011 | 52.4% | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 52.1% | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 53.5% | +2.6% |
| 2014 | 54.4% | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 55.7% | +2.3% |
| 2016 | 57.0% | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 57.8% | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 58.6% | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 59.3% | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 57.7% | -2.6% |
| 2021 | 59.6% | +3.4% |
| 2022 | 61.8% | +3.6% |
| 2023 | 63.7% | +3.1% |
| 2024 | 62.9% | -1.3% |
| 2025 | 63.1% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 44.5% | 43.8% | 46.9% | 7 |
| 1990s | 47.8% | 44.7% | 54.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 58.5% | 56.0% | 63.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 55.4% | 52.1% | 59.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 61.5% | 57.7% | 63.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 54 Burkina Faso 63.3% compare
- 55 Cameroon 63.2% compare
- 56 Republic of Korea 63.1% compare
- 58 Dominican Republic 62.9% compare
- 59 Norway 62.6% compare
- 60 Bhutan 62.6% compare
More work & labour data for Ireland
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.4488 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.4574 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.4405 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.23 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.9335 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 4,354 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,447 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,638 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,649 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 5,286 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Ireland?
- Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Ireland was 63.1% 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 Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 63.7% in 2023.
- What is the lowest employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.8% in 1985.
- How does Ireland rank for employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%)?
- Ireland ranks 57th out of 178 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland 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.