Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income): Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) was 71.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) recorded 71.7% for labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) peaked at 79.2% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 70.4%, in 2020.
That places Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) 31st out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
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+) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 79.2% | — |
| 1991 | 78.5% | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 78.3% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 78.1% | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 77.9% | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 77.6% | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 77.5% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 77.5% | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 77.0% | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 77.2% | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 76.6% | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 75.9% | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 75.5% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 75.4% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 75.3% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 75.0% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 74.5% | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 74.1% | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 73.7% | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 73.7% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 73.9% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 73.3% | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 73.1% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 73.1% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 72.5% | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 72.2% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 72.1% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 71.9% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 71.9% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 71.7% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 70.4% | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 71.1% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 71.8% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 72.0% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 71.8% | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 71.7% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 77.9% | 77.0% | 79.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 75.0% | 73.7% | 76.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 72.6% | 71.7% | 73.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.5% | 70.4% | 72.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
More work & labour data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 17.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 44.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 13.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 50.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 32.2% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 25.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 75.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 47.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 19.0% (2025)
- Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) 54.6% (2025)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) was 71.7% 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+) recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 79.2% in 1990.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 70.4% in 2020.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) rank for labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+)?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 31st out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) 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+) (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 and older that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.