Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) was 66.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1961–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 66.6%.
That represents a change of up 1.2% on the previous year and down 2.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 86.9% in 1961 and was at its lowest, 58.8%, in 1980.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 134th out of 196 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 50 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 86.9% | — |
| 1966 | 83.8% | -3.5% |
| 1971 | 81.3% | -3.0% |
| 1978 | 59.4% | -26.9% |
| 1979 | 58.9% | -0.8% |
| 1980 | 58.8% | -0.3% |
| 1981 | 76.0% | +29.4% |
| 1983 | 73.3% | -3.5% |
| 1984 | 73.5% | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 74.4% | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 73.9% | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 73.8% | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 74.1% | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 74.5% | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 74.4% | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 73.8% | -0.8% |
| 1992 | 73.0% | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 71.9% | -1.5% |
| 1994 | 71.5% | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 71.2% | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 71.0% | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 70.9% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 70.6% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 70.2% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 70.2% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 69.6% | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 69.4% | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 69.7% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 69.3% | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 69.4% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 69.7% | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 69.6% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 69.7% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 69.1% | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 68.7% | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 68.5% | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 68.6% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 68.4% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 68.4% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 68.3% | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 68.3% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 68.0% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 68.1% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 67.6% | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 67.2% | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 66.2% | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 66.4% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 66.5% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 65.8% | -1.1% |
| 2025 | 66.6% | +1.2% |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 66.6% is below the median for high income countries, which is 69.5%, 96% of the median. (79 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 66.6% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 68.2%, 98% of the median. (54 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | +29.4% | 58.8% | 76.0% |
| 1978 | -26.9% | 81.3% | 59.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 85.4% | 83.8% | 86.9% | 2 |
| 1970s | 66.6% | 58.9% | 81.3% | 3 |
| 1980s | 72.5% | 58.8% | 76.0% | 9 |
| 1990s | 71.8% | 70.2% | 74.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 69.6% | 69.1% | 70.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 68.3% | 67.6% | 68.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 66.5% | 65.8% | 67.2% | 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)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 4.93 (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)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 66.6% 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 86.9% in 1961.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 58.8% in 1980.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+)?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 134th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.5%. 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, male (% of male population ages 15+) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 50 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.