Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income): Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) was 44.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) stood at 44.9%.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 3.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) peaked at 47.7% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 44.2%, in 2020.
That places Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) 46th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 47.6% | — |
| 1991 | 47.7% | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 47.7% | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 47.6% | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 47.6% | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 47.0% | -1.1% |
| 1996 | 47.1% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 47.3% | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 47.1% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 47.4% | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 47.2% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 46.9% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 46.6% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 46.7% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 46.9% | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 47.0% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 46.9% | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 46.9% | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 46.4% | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 46.7% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 46.9% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 46.5% | -1.0% |
| 2012 | 46.5% | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 46.4% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 46.2% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 46.3% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 46.3% | -0.0% |
| 2017 | 46.0% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 45.5% | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 45.4% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 44.2% | -2.7% |
| 2021 | 44.7% | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 44.7% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 45.1% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 45.0% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 44.9% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 47.4% | 47.0% | 47.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 46.8% | 46.4% | 47.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 46.2% | 45.4% | 46.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 44.7% | 44.2% | 45.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
- 43 Netherlands 67.2% compare
- 44 Cote d'Ivoire 67.1% compare
- 45 Mali 67.0% compare
- 46 East Timor 67.0% compare
- 47 Cyprus 67.0% compare
- 48 Switzerland 66.7% compare
- 49 Thailand 66.7% compare
More work & labour data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 17.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 71.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 13.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 50.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 32.2% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 25.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 75.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 47.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 19.0% (2025)
- Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) 54.6% (2025)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) was 44.9% 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 47.7% in 1991.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.2% in 2020.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) rank for labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+)?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 46th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (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.
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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.