Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate) in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate) was 59.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in United Kingdom, 1978–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in United Kingdom is 59.8%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in United Kingdom peaked at 60.6% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 44.7%, in 1978.
United Kingdom ranks 79th of 178 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 46 years of available data.
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate) in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 44.7% | — |
| 1979 | 45.4% | +1.4% |
| 1980 | 45.2% | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 52.4% | +15.9% |
| 1984 | 53.3% | +1.7% |
| 1985 | 54.0% | +1.4% |
| 1986 | 54.0% | -0.0% |
| 1987 | 54.7% | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 56.4% | +3.1% |
| 1989 | 58.2% | +3.3% |
| 1990 | 58.6% | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 57.3% | -2.3% |
| 1992 | 56.3% | -1.8% |
| 1993 | 55.3% | -1.8% |
| 1994 | 55.6% | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 56.0% | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 56.3% | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 57.0% | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 57.6% | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 52.0% | -9.7% |
| 2000 | 52.8% | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 53.0% | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 53.1% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 53.3% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 59.0% | +10.8% |
| 2005 | 59.1% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 59.1% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 59.0% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 59.0% | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 57.6% | -2.4% |
| 2010 | 57.2% | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 57.0% | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 57.1% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 57.5% | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 58.5% | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 59.1% | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 59.6% | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 59.9% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 60.3% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 60.6% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 60.0% | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 59.2% | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 59.9% | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 59.7% | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 59.3% | -0.6% |
| 2025 | 59.8% | +0.7% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 59.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 59.3%, 1.0× the median. (74 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 59.8% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 58.2%, 1.0× the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 45.1% | 44.7% | 45.4% | 2 |
| 1980s | 53.5% | 45.2% | 58.2% | 8 |
| 1990s | 56.2% | 52.0% | 58.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 56.5% | 52.8% | 59.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 58.7% | 57.0% | 60.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 59.6% | 59.2% | 60.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More work & labour data for United Kingdom
- 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)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 4.93 (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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in United Kingdom?
- Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in United Kingdom was 59.8% 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 60.6% in 2019.
- What is the lowest employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.7% in 1978.
- How does United Kingdom rank for employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%)?
- United Kingdom ranks 79th out of 178 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.