Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) was 27.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in Papua New Guinea, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in Papua New Guinea stood at 27.2%. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.8% on the previous year and down 15.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in Papua New Guinea peaked at 36.9% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 27.2%, in 2025.
That places Papua New Guinea 174th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in Papua New Guinea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 36.8% | — |
| 1991 | 36.3% | -1.2% |
| 1992 | 35.6% | -2.0% |
| 1993 | 34.6% | -2.7% |
| 1994 | 34.5% | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 35.0% | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 34.7% | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 35.2% | +1.5% |
| 1998 | 35.7% | +1.5% |
| 1999 | 35.8% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 36.3% | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 36.5% | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 36.8% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 36.9% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 36.9% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 36.7% | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 36.6% | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 36.3% | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 36.5% | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 36.3% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 35.8% | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 35.4% | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 34.7% | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 34.0% | -1.9% |
| 2014 | 32.8% | -3.7% |
| 2015 | 31.9% | -2.5% |
| 2016 | 31.2% | -2.3% |
| 2017 | 30.6% | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 30.2% | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 29.5% | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 28.6% | -2.8% |
| 2021 | 28.0% | -2.1% |
| 2022 | 27.7% | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 27.6% | -0.5% |
| 2024 | 27.4% | -0.7% |
| 2025 | 27.2% | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 35.4% | 34.5% | 36.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 36.6% | 36.3% | 36.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 32.6% | 29.5% | 35.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.7% | 27.2% | 28.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea
- 171 Sierra Leone 28.8% compare
- 172 Mauritania 27.3% compare
- 173 Eswatini 27.2% compare
- 175 Puerto Rico 27.1% compare
- 176 Comoros 25.9% compare
- 177 Turkmenistan 25.7% compare
More work & labour data for Papua New Guinea
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.0564 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.0424 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.0705 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.4419 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 3.49 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 3,326 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 10,546 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 9,357 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 9,284 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 18,640 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in Papua New Guinea?
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in Papua New Guinea was 27.2% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The highest recorded value was 36.9% in 2004.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.2% in 2025.
- How does Papua New Guinea rank for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%)?
- Papua New Guinea ranks 174th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Papua New Guinea data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24 is the proportion of the population ages 15-24 that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.