Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in India
India: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) was 31.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in India, 1971–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in India is 31.6%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 2.2% on the previous year and down 7.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in India peaked at 54.7% in 1981 and was at its lowest, 26.7%, in 2018.
That places India 128th out of 175 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 17 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in India, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 42.8% | — |
| 1981 | 54.7% | +27.7% |
| 1991 | 44.6% | -18.3% |
| 1994 | 46.3% | +3.8% |
| 2000 | 44.3% | -4.4% |
| 2001 | 42.4% | -4.2% |
| 2005 | 46.4% | +9.4% |
| 2010 | 36.7% | -20.8% |
| 2012 | 34.3% | -6.7% |
| 2018 | 26.7% | -22.0% |
| 2019 | 28.2% | +5.4% |
| 2020 | 28.6% | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 28.4% | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 28.9% | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 31.7% | +9.7% |
| 2024 | 32.3% | +1.8% |
| 2025 | 31.6% | -2.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 42.8% | 42.8% | 42.8% | 1 |
| 1980s | 54.7% | 54.7% | 54.7% | 1 |
| 1990s | 45.5% | 44.6% | 46.3% | 2 |
| 2000s | 44.4% | 42.4% | 46.4% | 3 |
| 2010s | 31.5% | 26.7% | 36.7% | 4 |
| 2020s | 30.3% | 28.4% | 32.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near India
- 125 Cape Verde 31.8% compare
- 126 Kiribati 31.8% compare
- 127 Philippines 31.6% compare
- 129 Serbia 31.4% compare
- 130 North Macedonia 31.2% compare
- 131 Kyrgyzstan 31.1% 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 31.6% 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 54.7% in 1981.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.7% in 2018.
- How does India rank for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%)?
- India ranks 128th out of 175 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 7.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this India 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.