Employment to population ratio in China
China: Employment to population ratio was 61.57 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
61.57
Change on year
down 0.6%
World rank
61st
of 186 countries
All-time high
76.84
in 1991
All-time low
61.57
in 2025
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Employment to population ratio in China, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
China recorded 61.57 for employment to population ratio in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.6% on the previous year and down 6.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment to population ratio in China peaked at 76.84 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 61.57, in 2025.
China ranks 61st of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Employment to population ratio in China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 76.84 | — |
| 1992 | 76.38 | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 75.66 | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 75.03 | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 74.47 | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 73.89 | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 73.31 | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 72.81 | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 72.29 | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 71.77 | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 71.07 | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 70.44 | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 69.89 | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 69.65 | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 69.32 | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 69.08 | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 68.82 | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 68.34 | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 67.93 | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 67.75 | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 67.64 | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 67.19 | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 66.75 | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 66.42 | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 66.08 | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 65.74 | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 65.3 | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 64.89 | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 64.31 | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 62.44 | -2.9% |
| 2021 | 64.06 | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 62.52 | -2.4% |
| 2023 | 62.76 | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 61.93 | -1.3% |
| 2025 | 61.57 | -0.6% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 61.57 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 55.68, 1.1× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- China's 61.57 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 61.89, 99% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 74.52 | 72.29 | 76.84 | 9 |
| 2000s | 69.63 | 67.93 | 71.77 | 10 |
| 2010s | 66.2 | 64.31 | 67.75 | 10 |
| 2020s | 62.55 | 61.57 | 64.06 | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
- 58 Japan 61.89 compare
- 59 Ireland 61.84 compare
- 60 Saint Lucia 61.81 compare
- 62 Dominican Republic 61.54 compare
- 63 Democratic Republic of Congo 61.45 compare
- 64 Zimbabwe 61.42 compare
More work & labour data for China
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -1.65 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -1.74 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -1.57 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.11 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.0615 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 1.12 million 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 275,362 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 319,567 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 326,230 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 645,797 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment to population ratio in China?
- Employment to population ratio in China was 61.57 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment to population ratio recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 76.84 in 1991.
- What is the lowest employment to population ratio recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 61.57 in 2025.
- How does China rank for employment to population ratio?
- China ranks 61st out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment to population ratio rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Employment to population ratio. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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