Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) was 54.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1961–2025
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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is 54.5%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.5% on the previous year and down 5.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 75.4% in 1961 and was at its lowest, 51.3%, in 2021.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 32nd of 175 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 47 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 75.4% | — |
| 1966 | 72.2% | -4.2% |
| 1971 | 67.1% | -7.0% |
| 1981 | 62.8% | -6.4% |
| 1983 | 64.3% | +2.4% |
| 1984 | 66.2% | +3.0% |
| 1985 | 69.6% | +5.1% |
| 1986 | 69.8% | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 70.8% | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 71.1% | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 72.6% | +2.1% |
| 1990 | 71.8% | -1.2% |
| 1991 | 70.1% | -2.3% |
| 1992 | 67.9% | -3.2% |
| 1993 | 66.0% | -2.8% |
| 1994 | 64.6% | -2.1% |
| 1995 | 63.7% | -1.5% |
| 1996 | 64.4% | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 64.3% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 63.8% | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 63.0% | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 63.4% | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 61.9% | -2.4% |
| 2002 | 62.4% | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 61.2% | -1.9% |
| 2004 | 61.6% | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 61.3% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 61.4% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 60.6% | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 60.3% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 58.2% | -3.4% |
| 2010 | 57.5% | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 57.3% | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 57.8% | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 57.0% | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 57.0% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 57.8% | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 57.3% | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 56.7% | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 56.3% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 54.8% | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 54.8% | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 51.3% | -6.3% |
| 2022 | 54.4% | +6.1% |
| 2023 | 53.7% | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 52.7% | -1.9% |
| 2025 | 54.5% | +3.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 73.8% | 72.2% | 75.4% | 2 |
| 1970s | 67.1% | 67.1% | 67.1% | 1 |
| 1980s | 68.4% | 62.8% | 72.6% | 8 |
| 1990s | 66.0% | 63.0% | 71.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 61.2% | 58.2% | 63.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 56.9% | 54.8% | 57.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 53.6% | 51.3% | 54.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More work & labour data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 22,956 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 60.91 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 35,770 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.07 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 111,361 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 100,223 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 57.91 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.47 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.4352 % change on previous year (2027)
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 54.5% 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 75.4% in 1961.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 51.3% in 2021.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%)?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 32nd out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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
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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.