Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) was 58.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Bangladesh, 1961–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2024, labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Bangladesh stood at 58.9%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.3% on the previous year and up 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Bangladesh peaked at 78.6% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 34.3%, in 1961.
That places Bangladesh 127th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 20 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 34.3% | — |
| 1974 | 49.0% | +42.7% |
| 1981 | 45.7% | -6.7% |
| 1984 | 49.1% | +7.4% |
| 1985 | 49.3% | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 50.3% | +2.1% |
| 1989 | 78.6% | +56.4% |
| 1991 | 75.9% | -3.5% |
| 1996 | 72.6% | -4.4% |
| 2000 | 72.1% | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 57.3% | -20.5% |
| 2006 | 58.1% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 58.6% | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 45.0% | -23.2% |
| 2013 | 57.2% | +27.1% |
| 2016 | 58.5% | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 58.3% | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 61.9% | +6.1% |
| 2023 | 60.9% | -1.6% |
| 2024 | 58.9% | -3.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 34.3% | 34.3% | 34.3% | 1 |
| 1970s | 49.0% | 49.0% | 49.0% | 1 |
| 1980s | 54.6% | 45.7% | 78.6% | 5 |
| 1990s | 74.2% | 72.6% | 75.9% | 2 |
| 2000s | 62.5% | 57.3% | 72.1% | 3 |
| 2010s | 55.5% | 45.0% | 58.6% | 5 |
| 2020s | 60.6% | 58.9% | 61.9% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
More work & labour data for Bangladesh
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.4985 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.4763 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.5215 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.28 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.22 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 117,837 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 84,090 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 104,333 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 104,263 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 208,597 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Bangladesh?
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Bangladesh was 58.9% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 78.6% in 1989.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.3% in 1961.
- How does Bangladesh rank for labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+)?
- Bangladesh ranks 127th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) (national 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.