Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male … male national in Italy
Italy: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male … male national was 26.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in Italy, 1961–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in Italy stood at 26.4%. That is the lowest value across all 51 years on record.
The figure is down 11.2% on the previous year and down 13.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in Italy peaked at 79.2% in 1961 and was at its lowest, 26.4%, in 2025.
That places Italy 168th out of 174 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 … male national in Italy, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 79.2% | — |
| 1971 | 66.3% | -16.3% |
| 1977 | 48.7% | -26.5% |
| 1978 | 47.9% | -1.7% |
| 1979 | 48.7% | +1.6% |
| 1980 | 49.4% | +1.4% |
| 1981 | 61.3% | +24.1% |
| 1982 | 50.0% | -18.4% |
| 1983 | 53.7% | +7.4% |
| 1984 | 54.2% | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 53.2% | -1.8% |
| 1986 | 52.8% | -0.8% |
| 1987 | 52.8% | -0.0% |
| 1988 | 53.3% | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 52.4% | -1.7% |
| 1990 | 50.7% | -3.2% |
| 1991 | 50.6% | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 46.5% | -8.0% |
| 1993 | 46.1% | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 44.0% | -4.6% |
| 1995 | 43.9% | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 43.3% | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 42.7% | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 43.7% | +2.3% |
| 1999 | 42.4% | -3.0% |
| 2000 | 42.2% | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 40.1% | -4.9% |
| 2002 | 39.6% | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 39.1% | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 41.4% | +6.0% |
| 2005 | 38.8% | -6.3% |
| 2006 | 37.6% | -3.1% |
| 2007 | 36.0% | -4.3% |
| 2008 | 35.7% | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 33.8% | -5.5% |
| 2010 | 32.8% | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 31.2% | -4.9% |
| 2012 | 32.9% | +5.3% |
| 2013 | 30.7% | -6.7% |
| 2014 | 31.0% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 30.4% | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 30.2% | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 30.0% | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 29.7% | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 29.6% | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 28.4% | -4.0% |
| 2021 | 29.4% | +3.5% |
| 2022 | 30.1% | +2.5% |
| 2023 | 30.8% | +2.3% |
| 2024 | 29.7% | -3.6% |
| 2025 | 26.4% | -11.2% |
Italy compared with similar countries
- Italy's 26.4% is below the median for high income countries, which is 45.7%, 58% of the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Italy's 26.4% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 38.9%, 68% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male … male national in Italy changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | -26.5% | 66.3% | 48.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 79.2% | 79.2% | 79.2% | 1 |
| 1970s | 52.9% | 47.9% | 66.3% | 4 |
| 1980s | 53.3% | 49.4% | 61.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 45.4% | 42.4% | 50.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 38.4% | 33.8% | 42.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.9% | 29.6% | 32.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.1% | 26.4% | 30.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Italy
- 165 Papua New Guinea 27.7% compare
- 166 Eswatini 27.5% compare
- 167 Greece 26.8% compare
- 169 Azerbaijan 25.2% compare
- 170 Bhutan 24.7% compare
- 171 East Timor 23.1% compare
More work & labour data for Italy
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.6708 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.6794 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.662 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.03 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.0094 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 44,671 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 10,422 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 17,512 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 17,865 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 35,377 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in Italy?
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in Italy was 26.4% 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 Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 79.2% in 1961.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.4% in 2025.
- How does Italy rank for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%)?
- Italy ranks 168th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Italy 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.