Labor force participation rate by age in South Korea
South Korea: Labor force participation rate by age was 25.82 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
25.82
Change on year
down 4.2%
World rank
164th
of 188 countries
All-time high
36.76
in 1992
All-time low
22.57
in 2009
Years of data
35
1990–2024
Labor force participation rate by age in South Korea, 1990–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2024, labor force participation rate by age in South Korea stood at 25.82.
The figure is down 4.2% on the previous year and down 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate by age in South Korea peaked at 36.76 in 1992 and was at its lowest, 22.57, in 2009.
That places South Korea 164th out of 188 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 34.28 | — |
| 1991 | 36.63 | +6.8% |
| 1992 | 36.76 | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 36.2 | -1.5% |
| 1994 | 36.58 | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 36.28 | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 35.34 | -2.6% |
| 1997 | 34.2 | -3.2% |
| 1998 | 31.71 | -7.3% |
| 1999 | 31.65 | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 30.52 | -3.6% |
| 2001 | 31.39 | +2.9% |
| 2002 | 32.07 | +2.2% |
| 2003 | 31.95 | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 32.46 | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 30.57 | -5.8% |
| 2006 | 28.02 | -8.3% |
| 2007 | 25.76 | -8.1% |
| 2008 | 23.53 | -8.6% |
| 2009 | 22.57 | -4.1% |
| 2010 | 22.67 | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 23.34 | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 24.07 | +3.2% |
| 2013 | 24.63 | +2.3% |
| 2014 | 26.3 | +6.8% |
| 2015 | 27.83 | +5.8% |
| 2016 | 27.98 | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 27.75 | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 26.91 | -3.0% |
| 2019 | 27.3 | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 25.97 | -4.9% |
| 2021 | 27.21 | +4.8% |
| 2022 | 28.58 | +5.0% |
| 2023 | 26.95 | -5.7% |
| 2024 | 25.82 | -4.2% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 25.82 is below the median for high income countries, which is 40.59, 64% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 25.82 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 39.77, 65% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 34.96 | 31.65 | 36.76 | 10 |
| 2000s | 28.88 | 22.57 | 32.46 | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.88 | 22.67 | 27.98 | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.9 | 25.82 | 28.58 | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More work & labour data for South Korea
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 16,840 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 63.91 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 29,824 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 2.96 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 0.78 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 97,052 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 65,686 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 62.02 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 0.9719 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate -0.1065 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate by age in South Korea?
- Labor force participation rate by age in South Korea was 25.82 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate by age recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 36.76 in 1992.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate by age recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.57 in 2009.
- How does South Korea rank for labor force participation rate by age?
- South Korea ranks 164th out of 188 countries with data for 2024.
- Is labor force participation rate by age rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Korea 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).