Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) … national in South Korea
South Korea: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) … national was 24.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in South Korea, 1960–2025
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 South Korea is 24.7%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.6% on the previous year and down 12.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in South Korea peaked at 51.1% in 1975 and was at its lowest, 23.1%, in 2009.
South Korea ranks 162nd of 176 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 50 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) … national in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 38.4% | — |
| 1966 | 41.4% | +7.9% |
| 1970 | 45.0% | +8.5% |
| 1975 | 51.1% | +13.5% |
| 1980 | 45.1% | -11.7% |
| 1981 | 42.6% | -5.5% |
| 1982 | 42.4% | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 39.8% | -6.1% |
| 1984 | 36.4% | -8.6% |
| 1985 | 35.6% | -2.3% |
| 1986 | 35.4% | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 35.5% | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 34.0% | -4.2% |
| 1989 | 34.3% | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 35.0% | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 37.3% | +6.6% |
| 1992 | 37.4% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 36.9% | -1.3% |
| 1994 | 37.2% | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 36.9% | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 35.9% | -2.7% |
| 1997 | 34.8% | -3.1% |
| 1998 | 32.2% | -7.5% |
| 1999 | 32.1% | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 31.1% | -3.2% |
| 2001 | 32.1% | +3.1% |
| 2002 | 32.8% | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 32.7% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 33.1% | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 31.3% | -5.5% |
| 2006 | 28.7% | -8.3% |
| 2007 | 26.3% | -8.4% |
| 2008 | 24.1% | -8.2% |
| 2009 | 23.1% | -4.3% |
| 2010 | 23.2% | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 23.8% | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 24.5% | +3.1% |
| 2013 | 25.0% | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 26.6% | +6.4% |
| 2015 | 28.2% | +5.8% |
| 2016 | 28.3% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 28.1% | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 27.3% | -2.6% |
| 2019 | 27.6% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 26.3% | -4.9% |
| 2021 | 27.6% | +5.0% |
| 2022 | 28.9% | +4.9% |
| 2023 | 27.2% | -5.7% |
| 2024 | 26.2% | -4.0% |
| 2025 | 24.7% | -5.6% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 24.7% is below the median for high income countries, which is 40.5%, 61% of the median. (71 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 24.7% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 37.7%, 66% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 39.9% | 38.4% | 41.4% | 2 |
| 1970s | 48.0% | 45.0% | 51.1% | 2 |
| 1980s | 38.1% | 34.0% | 45.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 35.6% | 32.1% | 37.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 29.5% | 23.1% | 33.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.3% | 23.2% | 28.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.8% | 24.7% | 28.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More work & labour data for South Korea
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 16,840 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 63.91 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 29,824 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 2.96 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 0.78 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 97,052 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 65,686 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 62.02 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 0.9719 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate -0.1065 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in South Korea?
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in South Korea was 24.7% 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 South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 51.1% in 1975.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.1% in 2009.
- How does South Korea rank for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%)?
- South Korea ranks 162nd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Korea 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 50 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.