Labor force participation rate by age in Australia
Australia: Labor force participation rate by age was 70.19 in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
70.19
Change on year
down 0.9%
World rank
9th
of 188 countries
All-time high
72.12
in 1990
All-time low
65.53
in 2020
Years of data
35
1990–2024
Labor force participation rate by age in Australia, 1990–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2024, labor force participation rate by age in Australia stood at 70.19.
That represents a change of down 0.9% on the previous year and up 5.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate by age in Australia peaked at 72.12 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 65.53, in 2020.
Australia ranks 9th of 188 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Labor force participation rate by age in Australia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 72.12 | — |
| 1991 | 69.67 | -3.4% |
| 1992 | 69.4 | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 68.74 | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 70.59 | +2.7% |
| 1995 | 71.65 | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 71.67 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 70.07 | -2.2% |
| 1998 | 69.88 | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 69.93 | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 70.19 | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 70.68 | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 69.98 | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 70.23 | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 70.14 | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 70.81 | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 70.81 | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 70.76 | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 70.75 | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 69.11 | -2.3% |
| 2010 | 68.43 | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 68.14 | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 67.52 | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 66.82 | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 66.56 | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 67.27 | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 66.79 | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 66.9 | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 67.65 | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 67.69 | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 65.53 | -3.2% |
| 2021 | 68.48 | +4.5% |
| 2022 | 71.41 | +4.3% |
| 2023 | 70.82 | -0.8% |
| 2024 | 70.19 | -0.9% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 70.19 is above the median for high income countries, which is 40.59, 1.7× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Australia's 70.19 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 39.77, 1.8× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 70.37 | 68.74 | 72.12 | 10 |
| 2000s | 70.35 | 69.11 | 70.81 | 10 |
| 2010s | 67.38 | 66.56 | 68.43 | 10 |
| 2020s | 69.28 | 65.53 | 71.41 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More work & labour data for Australia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.5057 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.4907 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.5202 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9895 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.8931 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 30,186 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 3,001 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 21,642 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 21,502 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 43,144 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate by age in Australia?
- Labor force participation rate by age in Australia was 70.19 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate by age recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 72.12 in 1990.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate by age recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 65.53 in 2020.
- How does Australia rank for labor force participation rate by age?
- Australia ranks 9th out of 188 countries with data for 2024.
- Is labor force participation rate by age rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Labor force participation rate by age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).