Labor force participation rate by age in Hong Kong
Hong Kong: Labor force participation rate by age was 29.47 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
29.47
Change on year
down 3.7%
World rank
147th
of 188 countries
All-time high
56.74
in 1990
All-time low
29.47
in 2024
Years of data
35
1990–2024
Labor force participation rate by age in Hong Kong, 1990–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Hong Kong recorded 29.47 for labor force participation rate by age in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is down 3.7% on the previous year and down 23.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate by age in Hong Kong peaked at 56.74 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 29.47, in 2024.
Hong Kong ranks 147th of 188 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate by age in Hong Kong, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 56.74 | — |
| 1991 | 56.1 | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 54.64 | -2.6% |
| 1993 | 53.66 | -1.8% |
| 1994 | 52.46 | -2.2% |
| 1995 | 50.28 | -4.2% |
| 1996 | 50.22 | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 49.5 | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 49.29 | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 47.41 | -3.8% |
| 2000 | 45.55 | -3.9% |
| 2001 | 44.93 | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 44.87 | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 44.44 | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 44.31 | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 43.87 | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 42.92 | -2.2% |
| 2007 | 42.75 | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 40.71 | -4.8% |
| 2009 | 39.23 | -3.7% |
| 2010 | 36.06 | -8.1% |
| 2011 | 36.4 | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 36.96 | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 38.9 | +5.2% |
| 2014 | 38.52 | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 40.26 | +4.5% |
| 2016 | 40.71 | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 39.83 | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 40.06 | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 39.82 | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 35.98 | -9.6% |
| 2021 | 34.88 | -3.1% |
| 2022 | 31.95 | -8.4% |
| 2023 | 30.62 | -4.2% |
| 2024 | 29.47 | -3.7% |
Hong Kong compared with similar countries
- Hong Kong's 29.47 is below the median for high income countries, which is 40.59, 73% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Hong Kong's 29.47 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 39.77, 74% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 52.03 | 47.41 | 56.74 | 10 |
| 2000s | 43.36 | 39.23 | 45.55 | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.75 | 36.06 | 40.71 | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.58 | 29.47 | 35.98 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Hong Kong
More work & labour data for Hong Kong
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 2,981 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 55.13 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 3,663 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 2.78 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.06 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 149,185 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 100,833 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 53.6 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.56 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate -1.12 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate by age in Hong Kong?
- Labor force participation rate by age in Hong Kong was 29.47 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate by age recorded in Hong Kong?
- The highest recorded value was 56.74 in 1990.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate by age recorded in Hong Kong?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.47 in 2024.
- How does Hong Kong rank for labor force participation rate by age?
- Hong Kong ranks 147th out of 188 countries with data for 2024.
- Is labor force participation rate by age rising or falling in Hong Kong?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Hong Kong 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).