Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Least developed countries
Least developed countries: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) was 49.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Least developed countries, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Least developed countries stood at 49.5%.
The figure is up 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Least developed countries peaked at 55.9% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 48.0%, in 2019.
That places Least developed countries 10th out of 45 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
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 Least developed countries, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 55.7% | — |
| 1991 | 55.8% | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 55.8% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 55.7% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 55.7% | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 55.7% | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 55.8% | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 55.9% | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 55.9% | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 55.7% | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 55.5% | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 55.4% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 55.2% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 55.0% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 54.7% | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 54.5% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 54.1% | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 53.8% | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 53.3% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 52.9% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 52.6% | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 52.6% | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 51.4% | -2.3% |
| 2013 | 51.9% | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 50.3% | -3.0% |
| 2015 | 49.3% | -1.9% |
| 2016 | 48.4% | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 48.1% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 48.0% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 48.0% | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 48.1% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 48.9% | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 49.3% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 50.2% | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 49.5% | -1.4% |
| 2025 | 49.5% | -0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 55.8% | 55.7% | 55.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 54.5% | 52.9% | 55.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 50.1% | 48.0% | 52.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 49.3% | 48.1% | 50.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Least developed countries
More work & labour data for Least developed countries
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 45.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 63.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 74.8% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 73.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 53.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 65.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 54.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 76.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 52.7% (2025)
- Employment in industry, female (% of female employment) 7.8% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Least developed countries?
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Least developed countries was 49.5% 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 Least developed countries?
- The highest recorded value was 55.9% in 1997.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in Least developed countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.0% in 2019.
- How does Least developed countries rank for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%)?
- Least developed countries ranks 10th out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) rising or falling in Least developed countries?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Least developed countries 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.