Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) in East Asia & Pacific
East Asia & Pacific: Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) was 73.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) in East Asia & Pacific, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) in East Asia & Pacific stood at 73.4%.
That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and down 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) in East Asia & Pacific peaked at 79.0% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 72.9%, in 2020.
East Asia & Pacific ranks 8th of 47 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) in East Asia & Pacific, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 79.0% | — |
| 1991 | 78.8% | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 78.5% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 78.2% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 78.1% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 77.8% | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 77.5% | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 77.2% | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 76.8% | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 76.5% | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 76.2% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 76.1% | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 75.8% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 75.6% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 75.5% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 75.2% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 75.1% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 75.2% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 75.0% | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 74.9% | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 74.8% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 75.0% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 74.8% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 74.5% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 74.5% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 74.5% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 74.3% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 74.2% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 74.3% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 74.2% | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 72.9% | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 73.9% | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 73.7% | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 74.1% | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 73.6% | -0.6% |
| 2025 | 73.4% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 77.8% | 76.5% | 79.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 75.5% | 74.9% | 76.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 74.5% | 74.2% | 75.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 73.6% | 72.9% | 74.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near East Asia & Pacific
- 5 Cambodia 86.1% compare
- 6 Solomon Islands 85.8% compare
- 7 Netherlands 85.6% compare
- 8 Tanzania, United Republic of 85.0% compare
- 9 Switzerland 84.0% compare
- 10 Sweden 83.9% compare
- 11 Nigeria 83.3% compare
More work & labour data for East Asia & Pacific
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 72.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 46.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 49.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 43.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 65.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 67.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 79.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 58.1% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 80.7% (2025)
- Employment in industry, female (% of female employment) 21.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) in East Asia & Pacific?
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) in East Asia & Pacific was 73.4% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) recorded in East Asia & Pacific?
- The highest recorded value was 79.0% in 1990.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) recorded in East Asia & Pacific?
- The lowest recorded value was 72.9% in 2020.
- How does East Asia & Pacific rank for labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages)?
- East Asia & Pacific ranks 8th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) rising or falling in East Asia & Pacific?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this East Asia & Pacific data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 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 15-64 that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.