Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Low & middle income
Low & middle income: Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) was 61.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Low & middle income, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Low & middle income recorded 61.0% for labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and down 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Low & middle income peaked at 67.1% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 59.5%, in 2020.
Low & middle income 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, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Low & middle income, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 67.1% | — |
| 1991 | 66.9% | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 66.8% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 66.6% | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 66.5% | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 66.4% | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 66.2% | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 66.1% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 66.0% | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 65.9% | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 65.7% | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 65.5% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 65.3% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 65.1% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 65.0% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 64.8% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 64.4% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 64.2% | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 63.8% | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 63.5% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 63.2% | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 63.0% | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 62.6% | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 62.4% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 62.1% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 61.9% | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 61.7% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 61.4% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 61.2% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 61.0% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 59.5% | -2.5% |
| 2021 | 60.3% | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 60.7% | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 61.2% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 61.1% | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 61.0% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 66.5% | 65.9% | 67.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 64.7% | 63.5% | 65.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 62.1% | 61.0% | 63.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 60.6% | 59.5% | 61.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Low & middle income
More work & labour data for Low & middle income
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 67.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 74.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 33.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 50.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 42.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 79.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 52.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 47.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 65.7% (2025)
- Employment in industry, female (% of female employment) 17.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Low & middle income?
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Low & middle income was 61.0% 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 Low & middle income?
- The highest recorded value was 67.1% in 1990.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) recorded in Low & middle income?
- The lowest recorded value was 59.5% in 2020.
- How does Low & middle income rank for labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+)?
- Low & middle income ranks 25th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) rising or falling in Low & middle income?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Low & middle 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.
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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.