Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Japan
Japan: Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) was 71.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
71.7%
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
87th
of 196 countries
All-time high
84.9%
in 1961
All-time low
70.3%
in 2015
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Japan, 1960–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Japan recorded 71.7% for labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Japan peaked at 84.9% in 1961 and was at its lowest, 70.3%, in 2015.
Japan ranks 87th of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Japan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 84.8% | — |
| 1961 | 84.9% | +0.1% |
| 1962 | 84.3% | -0.7% |
| 1963 | 83.1% | -1.4% |
| 1964 | 82.1% | -1.2% |
| 1965 | 81.7% | -0.5% |
| 1966 | 81.7% | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 81.6% | -0.1% |
| 1968 | 82.1% | +0.6% |
| 1969 | 81.9% | -0.2% |
| 1970 | 81.8% | -0.1% |
| 1971 | 82.2% | +0.5% |
| 1972 | 82.1% | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 82.1% | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 81.8% | -0.4% |
| 1975 | 81.4% | -0.5% |
| 1976 | 81.2% | -0.2% |
| 1977 | 80.6% | -0.7% |
| 1978 | 80.3% | -0.4% |
| 1979 | 80.2% | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 79.8% | -0.5% |
| 1981 | 79.8% | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 79.5% | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 79.4% | -0.1% |
| 1984 | 78.8% | -0.8% |
| 1985 | 78.1% | -0.9% |
| 1986 | 77.8% | -0.4% |
| 1987 | 77.3% | -0.6% |
| 1988 | 77.1% | -0.3% |
| 1989 | 77.0% | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 77.2% | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 77.6% | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 77.9% | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 78.0% | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 77.8% | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 77.6% | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 77.7% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 77.7% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 77.3% | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 76.9% | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 76.5% | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 75.7% | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 74.8% | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 74.2% | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 73.4% | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 73.3% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 73.2% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 73.2% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 72.7% | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 72.1% | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 71.6% | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 71.2% | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 70.8% | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 70.5% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 70.4% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 70.3% | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 70.4% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 70.5% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 71.1% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 71.4% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 71.4% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 71.2% | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 71.4% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 71.4% | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 71.5% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 71.7% | +0.3% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 71.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 69.5%, 1.0× the median. (79 countries reporting)
- Japan's 71.7% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 71.0%, 1.0× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 82.8% | 81.6% | 84.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 81.4% | 80.2% | 82.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 78.5% | 77.0% | 79.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 77.6% | 76.9% | 78.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 73.9% | 72.1% | 76.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 70.8% | 70.3% | 71.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.4% | 71.2% | 71.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More work & labour data for Japan
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.4984 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.5262 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.4728 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.25 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.4618 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 103,039 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,756 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 39,867 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 36,979 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 76,846 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Japan?
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Japan was 71.7% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 84.9% in 1961.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 70.3% in 2015.
- How does Japan rank for labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+)?
- Japan ranks 87th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.