Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in India
India: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) was 31.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in India, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in India is 31.2%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 3.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in India peaked at 49.0% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 28.6%, in 2020.
That places India 131st out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in India, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 46.5% | — |
| 1991 | 46.5% | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 46.4% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 46.4% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 46.3% | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 46.8% | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 47.2% | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 47.7% | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 48.1% | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 48.6% | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 49.0% | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 48.3% | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 47.5% | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 46.7% | -1.6% |
| 2004 | 45.9% | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 45.1% | -1.7% |
| 2006 | 43.4% | -3.9% |
| 2007 | 41.6% | -4.0% |
| 2008 | 39.9% | -4.2% |
| 2009 | 38.2% | -4.3% |
| 2010 | 36.5% | -4.4% |
| 2011 | 35.2% | -3.5% |
| 2012 | 33.9% | -3.6% |
| 2013 | 33.5% | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 32.9% | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 32.2% | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 31.6% | -2.1% |
| 2017 | 30.8% | -2.3% |
| 2018 | 30.1% | -2.4% |
| 2019 | 29.3% | -2.6% |
| 2020 | 28.6% | -2.5% |
| 2021 | 28.9% | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 29.6% | +2.4% |
| 2023 | 30.4% | +2.8% |
| 2024 | 31.2% | +2.5% |
| 2025 | 31.2% | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 47.1% | 46.3% | 48.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 44.6% | 38.2% | 49.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 32.6% | 29.3% | 36.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 30.0% | 28.6% | 31.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near India
- 128 Philippines 31.7% compare
- 129 Senegal 31.6% compare
- 130 Saudi Arabia 31.5% compare
- 132 Sierra Leone 30.9% compare
- 133 Ghana 30.9% compare
- 134 Kyrgyzstan 30.9% compare
More work & labour data for India
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.5076 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.5076 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.5078 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.12 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.47 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 876,613 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 782,365 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 743,542 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 761,710 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 1.51 million 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in India?
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in India was 31.2% 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, total (%) recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 49.0% in 2000.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.6% in 2020.
- How does India rank for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%)?
- India ranks 131st out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this India 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, total (%) (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.