Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Euro area
Euro area: Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) was 58.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Euro area, 1983–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Euro area stood at 58.1%. That is the highest value across all 43 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and up 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Euro area peaked at 58.1% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 52.9%, in 1983.
That places Euro area 23rd out of 33 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 43 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Euro area, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 52.9% | — |
| 1984 | 53.2% | +0.7% |
| 1985 | 53.2% | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 53.4% | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 53.5% | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 53.6% | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 54.0% | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 54.3% | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 55.0% | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 54.5% | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 54.3% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 54.3% | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 54.0% | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 54.3% | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 54.2% | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 54.4% | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 54.9% | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 54.9% | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 54.8% | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 55.2% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 55.5% | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 55.6% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 55.9% | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 56.3% | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 56.6% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 56.9% | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 56.8% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 56.7% | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 56.7% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 56.9% | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 56.9% | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 56.8% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 56.7% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 56.9% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 57.0% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 57.1% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 57.2% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 56.2% | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 56.9% | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 57.4% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 57.8% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 57.9% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 58.1% | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 53.4% | 52.9% | 54.0% | 7 |
| 1990s | 54.4% | 54.0% | 55.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 55.9% | 54.8% | 56.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 56.9% | 56.7% | 57.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 57.4% | 56.2% | 58.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Euro area
More work & labour data for Euro area
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 75.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 57.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 62.7% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 82.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 51.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 39.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 42.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 70.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 79.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 44.8% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Euro area?
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Euro area was 58.1% in 2025, 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 Euro area?
- The highest recorded value was 58.1% in 2025.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) recorded in Euro area?
- The lowest recorded value was 52.9% in 1983.
- How does Euro area rank for labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+)?
- Euro area ranks 23rd out of 33 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) rising or falling in Euro area?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Euro area 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.