Labor force participation rate by age in BRICS

BRICS: Labor force participation rate by age was 39.2% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
39.2%
Change on year
up 0.6%
Rank
5th
of 7 groups
All-time high
62.5%
in 1990
All-time low
37.5%
in 2020
Years of data
35
1990–2024

Labor force participation rate by age in BRICS, 1990–2024

02040601990200720241990: 62.5 %1991: 61.8 %1992: 61 %1993: 60 %1994: 59.2 %1995: 58.5 %1996: 57.4 %1997: 56.6 %1998: 55.9 %1999: 55.7 %2000: 55.1 %2001: 54.2 %2002: 53.6 %2003: 53 %2004: 52.6 %2005: 51.9 %2006: 50.9 %2007: 50 %2008: 48.9 %2009: 47.8 %2010: 46.6 %2011: 45.4 %2012: 44.6 %2013: 44 %2014: 43.1 %2015: 42.3 %2016: 41.6 %2017: 40.9 %2018: 40.1 %2019: 39.4 %2020: 37.5 %2021: 37.9 %2022: 38.6 %2023: 38.9 %2024: 39.2 %

Source: International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

BRICS recorded 39.2% for labor force participation rate by age in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and down 9.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force participation rate by age in BRICS peaked at 62.5% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 37.5%, in 2020.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 58.9% 55.7% 62.5% 10
2000s 51.8% 47.8% 55.1% 10
2010s 42.8% 39.4% 46.6% 10
2020s 38.4% 37.5% 39.2% 5

Countries ranked near BRICS

  1. 2 Iceland 82.2% compare
  2. 3 North Korea 78.5% compare
  3. 4 Madagascar 72.5% compare
  4. 5 Niger 71.2% compare
  5. 6 Solomon Islands 70.8% compare
  6. 7 Tanzania 70.8% compare
  7. 8 Cambodia 70.6% compare

See the full ranking of 195 places →

More work & labour data for BRICS

All data for BRICS →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force participation rate by age in BRICS?
Labor force participation rate by age in BRICS was 39.2% in 2024, according to International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest labor force participation rate by age recorded in BRICS?
The highest recorded value was 62.5% in 1990.
What is the lowest labor force participation rate by age recorded in BRICS?
The lowest recorded value was 37.5% in 2020.
How does BRICS rank for labor force participation rate by age?
BRICS ranks 5th out of 7 groups with data for 2024.
Is labor force participation rate by age rising or falling in BRICS?
Over the last ten years it is down 9.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this BRICS data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Labor force participation rate by age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Labor force participation rate by age
Unit
%
Source
International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
195 places, 6,816 data points, 1990–2024
Last refreshed

Share of the working-age population aged 15-24 who are economically active (employed or unemployed).