Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in Hong Kong, China
Hong Kong, China: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) was 28.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in Hong Kong, China, 1961–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Hong Kong, China recorded 28.1% for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 51 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.3% on the previous year and down 28.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in Hong Kong, China peaked at 73.6% in 1961 and was at its lowest, 28.1%, in 2025.
That places Hong Kong, China 163rd out of 173 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 51 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in Hong Kong, China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 73.6% | — |
| 1966 | 66.0% | -10.3% |
| 1971 | 68.0% | +2.9% |
| 1975 | 66.8% | -1.7% |
| 1976 | 69.0% | +3.2% |
| 1979 | 63.2% | -8.4% |
| 1980 | 65.8% | +4.1% |
| 1981 | 70.3% | +6.8% |
| 1982 | 66.2% | -5.8% |
| 1983 | 67.4% | +1.9% |
| 1984 | 67.8% | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 64.1% | -5.4% |
| 1986 | 63.9% | -0.4% |
| 1987 | 62.5% | -2.2% |
| 1988 | 61.1% | -2.2% |
| 1989 | 59.0% | -3.4% |
| 1990 | 57.7% | -2.1% |
| 1991 | 57.0% | -1.3% |
| 1992 | 55.4% | -2.8% |
| 1993 | 55.2% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 53.3% | -3.4% |
| 1995 | 51.2% | -3.9% |
| 1996 | 50.8% | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 50.3% | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 49.5% | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 46.4% | -6.2% |
| 2001 | 44.4% | -4.4% |
| 2002 | 44.3% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 44.5% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 43.9% | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 42.9% | -2.4% |
| 2006 | 41.7% | -2.8% |
| 2007 | 40.9% | -1.9% |
| 2008 | 38.8% | -5.2% |
| 2009 | 38.1% | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 35.4% | -7.2% |
| 2011 | 35.7% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 36.3% | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 37.8% | +4.1% |
| 2014 | 37.8% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 39.1% | +3.5% |
| 2016 | 39.5% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 38.1% | -3.4% |
| 2018 | 39.2% | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 39.2% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 35.4% | -9.6% |
| 2021 | 34.4% | -2.8% |
| 2022 | 31.4% | -8.7% |
| 2023 | 30.1% | -4.1% |
| 2024 | 28.8% | -4.5% |
| 2025 | 28.1% | -2.3% |
Hong Kong, China compared with similar countries
- Hong Kong, China's 28.1% is below the median for high income countries, which is 46.4%, 61% of the median. (69 countries reporting)
- Hong Kong, China's 28.1% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 42.2%, 67% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 69.8% | 66.0% | 73.6% | 2 |
| 1970s | 66.7% | 63.2% | 69.0% | 4 |
| 1980s | 64.8% | 59.0% | 70.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 53.4% | 49.5% | 57.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 42.6% | 38.1% | 46.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 37.8% | 35.4% | 39.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.4% | 28.1% | 35.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Hong Kong, China
More work & labour data for Hong Kong, China
- 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 for ages 15-24, male (%) in Hong Kong, China?
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in Hong Kong, China was 28.1% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) recorded in Hong Kong, China?
- The highest recorded value was 73.6% in 1961.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) recorded in Hong Kong, China?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.1% in 2025.
- How does Hong Kong, China rank for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%)?
- Hong Kong, China ranks 163rd out of 173 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) rising or falling in Hong Kong, China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Hong Kong, China data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (national 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.