Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan: Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) was 73.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, 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+) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan stood at 73.3%.
That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and down 0.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan peaked at 79.3% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 71.8%, in 2020.
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 25th of 47 groups on this measure, 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, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 79.3% | — |
| 1991 | 78.6% | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 78.4% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 78.2% | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 78.0% | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 77.7% | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 77.6% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 77.5% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 77.0% | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 77.1% | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 76.6% | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 75.9% | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 75.5% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 75.3% | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 75.2% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 74.9% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 74.5% | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 74.2% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 73.9% | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 73.9% | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 74.3% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 73.8% | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 73.9% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 74.0% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 73.6% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 73.5% | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 73.5% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 73.2% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 73.3% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 73.2% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 71.8% | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 72.4% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 73.1% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 73.5% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 73.4% | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 73.3% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 77.9% | 77.0% | 79.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 75.0% | 73.9% | 76.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 73.6% | 73.2% | 74.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 72.9% | 71.8% | 73.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
More work & labour data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 19.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 47.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 14.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 50.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 32.6% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 29.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 76.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 50.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 21.2% (2025)
- Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) 61.0% (2025)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan →
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan was 73.3% 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?
- The highest recorded value was 79.3% in 1990.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 71.8% in 2020.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan rank for labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+)?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 25th 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?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 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.