Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Nepal
Nepal: Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) was 39.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Nepal, 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 Nepal stood at 39.2%. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 2.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Nepal peaked at 41.6% in 1992 and was at its lowest, 39.2%, in 2025.
That places Nepal 179th out of 187 countries 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 Nepal, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 41.6% | — |
| 1991 | 41.5% | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 41.6% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 41.6% | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 41.5% | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 41.5% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 41.5% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 41.4% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 41.4% | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 41.4% | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 41.4% | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 41.3% | -0.0% |
| 2002 | 41.3% | -0.0% |
| 2003 | 41.3% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 41.3% | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 41.2% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 41.2% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 41.1% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 41.0% | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 41.0% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 40.9% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 40.8% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 40.7% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 40.5% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 40.3% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 40.2% | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 40.1% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 39.9% | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 39.7% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 39.8% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 39.4% | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 39.5% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 39.4% | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 39.4% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 39.3% | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 39.2% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 41.5% | 41.4% | 41.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 41.2% | 41.0% | 41.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 40.3% | 39.7% | 40.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 39.4% | 39.2% | 39.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
- 176 Algeria 40.8% compare
- 177 Mauritania 40.8% compare
- 178 Jordan 40.1% compare
- 180 Tajikistan 38.3% compare
- 181 Sudan 37.5% compare
- 182 Afghanistan 37.5% compare
More work & labour data for Nepal
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.593 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.568 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.6174 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.8524 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.99 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 13,496 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 22,611 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 16,146 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 15,685 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 31,831 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Nepal?
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Nepal was 39.2% 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 Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 41.6% in 1992.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 39.2% in 2025.
- How does Nepal rank for labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+)?
- Nepal ranks 179th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nepal 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.