Labor force participation rate by age in Germany

Germany: Labor force participation rate by age was 54.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
54.5%
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
32nd
of 188 countries
All-time high
60.7%
in 1990
All-time low
47.5%
in 2004
Years of data
35
1990–2024

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

02040601990200720241990: 60.7 %1991: 60.5 %1992: 58.3 %1993: 56.3 %1994: 54.9 %1995: 52.5 %1996: 50.4 %1997: 49.7 %1998: 50 %1999: 50.8 %2000: 50.4 %2001: 50.4 %2002: 50 %2003: 49.5 %2004: 47.5 %2005: 49.7 %2006: 50.8 %2007: 51.4 %2008: 52.3 %2009: 51.9 %2010: 51.5 %2011: 51.7 %2012: 50.5 %2013: 51 %2014: 50.1 %2015: 48.9 %2016: 49.2 %2017: 50 %2018: 50.3 %2019: 51.4 %2020: 50.9 %2021: 52.8 %2022: 53.5 %2023: 54.1 %2024: 54.5 %

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for labor force participation rate by age in Germany is 54.5%, measured in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 8.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force participation rate by age in Germany peaked at 60.7% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 47.5%, in 2004.

Germany ranks 32nd of 188 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 54.4% 49.7% 60.7% 10
2000s 50.4% 47.5% 52.3% 10
2010s 50.5% 48.9% 51.7% 10
2020s 53.2% 50.9% 54.5% 5

Countries ranked near Germany

  1. 29 Liberia 55.4% compare
  2. 30 Peru 55.3% compare
  3. 31 Brazil 54.7% compare
  4. 33 Angola 54.2% compare
  5. 34 Laos 54.1% compare
  6. 35 Ethiopia 54.0% compare

See the full ranking of 195 places →

More work & labour data for Germany

All data for Germany →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force participation rate by age in Germany?
Labor force participation rate by age in Germany was 54.5% 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 Germany?
The highest recorded value was 60.7% in 1990.
What is the lowest labor force participation rate by age recorded in Germany?
The lowest recorded value was 47.5% in 2004.
How does Germany rank for labor force participation rate by age?
Germany ranks 32nd out of 188 countries with data for 2024.
Is labor force participation rate by age rising or falling in Germany?
Over the last ten years it is up 8.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Germany 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.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

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).