Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) in Nepal
Nepal: Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) was 56.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) in Nepal, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) in Nepal stood at 56.2%.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) in Nepal peaked at 63.9% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 56.2%, in 2020.
That places Nepal 180th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) in Nepal, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 63.9% | — |
| 1991 | 63.8% | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 63.7% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 63.7% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 63.7% | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 63.7% | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 63.7% | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 63.7% | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 63.6% | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 63.5% | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 63.4% | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 63.3% | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 63.2% | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 63.1% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 63.0% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 62.9% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 62.6% | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 62.3% | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 61.9% | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 61.5% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 61.0% | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 60.5% | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 59.8% | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 59.2% | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 58.5% | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 57.9% | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 57.4% | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 57.0% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 56.7% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 56.9% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 56.2% | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 56.2% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 56.2% | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 56.3% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 56.3% | -0.0% |
| 2025 | 56.2% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 63.7% | 63.5% | 63.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 62.7% | 61.5% | 63.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 58.5% | 56.7% | 61.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 56.2% | 56.2% | 56.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
- 177 Mauritania 57.8% compare
- 178 Samoa 57.7% compare
- 179 Eswatini 56.2% compare
- 181 Sierra Leone 56.1% compare
- 182 Papua New Guinea 54.1% compare
- 183 Gambia 50.5% compare
More work & labour data for Nepal
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.593 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.568 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.6174 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.8524 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.99 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 13,496 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 22,611 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 16,146 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 15,685 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 31,831 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) in Nepal?
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) in Nepal was 56.2% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 63.9% in 1990.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 56.2% in 2020.
- How does Nepal rank for labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64)?
- Nepal ranks 180th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nepal data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Labor force participation rate is the proportion of the population ages 15-64 that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.