Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Hong Kong, China
Hong Kong, China: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) was 28.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Hong Kong, China, 1961–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Hong Kong, China recorded 28.4% for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 52 years on record.
The figure is down 3.5% on the previous year and down 29.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Hong Kong, China peaked at 66.5% in 1976 and was at its lowest, 28.4%, in 2025.
That places Hong Kong, China 146th out of 175 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 52 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Hong Kong, China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 62.8% | — |
| 1966 | 60.7% | -3.4% |
| 1971 | 65.2% | +7.4% |
| 1975 | 65.0% | -0.2% |
| 1976 | 66.5% | +2.3% |
| 1979 | 61.1% | -8.0% |
| 1980 | 63.3% | +3.5% |
| 1981 | 66.3% | +4.8% |
| 1982 | 63.7% | -3.9% |
| 1983 | 65.2% | +2.3% |
| 1984 | 65.9% | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 62.4% | -5.4% |
| 1986 | 62.7% | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 61.1% | -2.5% |
| 1988 | 59.7% | -2.3% |
| 1989 | 57.9% | -3.0% |
| 1990 | 56.8% | -2.0% |
| 1991 | 56.1% | -1.2% |
| 1992 | 54.7% | -2.6% |
| 1993 | 53.7% | -1.8% |
| 1994 | 52.5% | -2.3% |
| 1995 | 50.3% | -4.2% |
| 1996 | 50.2% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 49.5% | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 49.3% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 47.5% | -3.6% |
| 2000 | 45.6% | -4.0% |
| 2001 | 44.9% | -1.5% |
| 2002 | 44.9% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 44.4% | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 44.3% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 43.9% | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 42.9% | -2.2% |
| 2007 | 42.7% | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 40.7% | -4.7% |
| 2009 | 39.2% | -3.6% |
| 2010 | 36.0% | -8.1% |
| 2011 | 36.4% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 37.0% | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 38.9% | +5.2% |
| 2014 | 38.5% | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 40.2% | +4.5% |
| 2016 | 40.7% | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 39.8% | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 40.0% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 39.8% | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 36.0% | -9.6% |
| 2021 | 34.9% | -3.1% |
| 2022 | 31.9% | -8.4% |
| 2023 | 30.6% | -4.1% |
| 2024 | 29.5% | -3.7% |
| 2025 | 28.4% | -3.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 61.7% | 60.7% | 62.8% | 2 |
| 1970s | 64.4% | 61.1% | 66.5% | 4 |
| 1980s | 62.8% | 57.9% | 66.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 52.0% | 47.5% | 56.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 43.3% | 39.2% | 45.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.7% | 36.0% | 40.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.9% | 28.4% | 36.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Hong Kong, China
- 143 Russian Federation 28.8% compare
- 144 Egypt 28.7% compare
- 145 Papua New Guinea 28.6% compare
- 147 Mongolia 28.1% compare
- 148 San Marino 27.9% compare
- 149 Czechia 27.8% compare
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, total (%) in Hong Kong, China?
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Hong Kong, China was 28.4% 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, total (%) recorded in Hong Kong, China?
- The highest recorded value was 66.5% in 1976.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in Hong Kong, China?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.4% in 2025.
- How does Hong Kong, China rank for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%)?
- Hong Kong, China ranks 146th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) rising or falling in Hong Kong, China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.4%. 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, total (%) (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.