Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)
East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries): Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) was 69.2% in 2018. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries), 1982–2018
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2018, labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) stood at 69.2%. That is the lowest value across all 20 years on record.
The figure is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 77.2% in 1982 and was at its lowest, 69.2%, in 2018.
That places East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) 1st out of 33 groups with data for 2018, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 20 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 77.2% | — |
| 1990 | 76.2% | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 72.8% | -4.5% |
| 2001 | 74.4% | +2.2% |
| 2002 | 73.8% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 73.1% | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 72.4% | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 72.2% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 71.9% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 71.8% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 71.3% | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 71.2% | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 70.1% | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 70.2% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 70.1% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 70.0% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 69.8% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 69.8% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 70.0% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 69.2% | -1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 77.2% | 77.2% | 77.2% | 1 |
| 1990s | 76.2% | 76.2% | 76.2% | 1 |
| 2000s | 72.5% | 71.2% | 74.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 69.9% | 69.2% | 70.2% | 8 |
Countries ranked near East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)
- 1 Qatar 88.0% compare
- 2 Tanzania, United Republic of 85.3% compare
- 3 Isle of Man 84.2% compare
- 4 Bermuda 84.0% compare
More work & labour data for East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 66.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 58.0% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 80.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 72.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 65.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 72.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 79.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 46.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 49.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 42.8% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) was 69.2% in 2018, 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 East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 77.2% in 1982.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) recorded in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 69.2% in 2018.
- How does East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+)?
- East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 1st out of 33 groups with data for 2018.
- Is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) rising or falling in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 20 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.