Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income): Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) was 56.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income), 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) recorded 56.6% for labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.5% on the previous year and up 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) peaked at 60.0% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 54.4%, in 2007.
Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) ranks 41st of 47 groups on this measure, in the bottom 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 15+) in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 59.7% | — |
| 1991 | 60.0% | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 59.9% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 59.0% | -1.5% |
| 1994 | 59.8% | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 59.6% | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 59.2% | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 58.6% | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 58.5% | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 58.2% | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 57.2% | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 56.9% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 56.6% | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 56.0% | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 55.0% | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 54.8% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 54.5% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 54.4% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 54.4% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 54.7% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 54.9% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 55.3% | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 55.3% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 55.4% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 55.4% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 55.7% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 56.0% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 56.2% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 56.3% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 56.1% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 54.4% | -3.1% |
| 2021 | 55.0% | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 56.4% | +2.5% |
| 2023 | 56.5% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 56.9% | +0.8% |
| 2025 | 56.6% | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 59.3% | 58.2% | 60.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 55.5% | 54.4% | 57.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 55.7% | 54.9% | 56.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 56.0% | 54.4% | 56.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
- 38 Macau, China 67.8% compare
- 39 Congo 67.8% compare
- 40 Kazakhstan 67.8% compare
- 41 Zimbabwe 67.7% compare
- 42 Kenya 67.4% compare
- 43 Netherlands 67.2% compare
- 44 Côte d'Ivoire 67.1% compare
More work & labour data for Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 64.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 69.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 31.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 49.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 40.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 44.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 76.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 63.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 50.6% (2025)
- Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) 66.8% (2025)
All data for Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) was 56.6% 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 15+) recorded in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 60.0% in 1991.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) recorded in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 54.4% in 2007.
- How does Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) rank for labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+)?
- Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) ranks 41st out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia (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, total (% of total population ages 15+) (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 and older that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.