Labor force participation rate, total (% of total) … national 15+ in Moldova
Moldova: Labor force participation rate, total (% of total) … national 15+ was 72.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Moldova, 1989–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Moldova recorded 72.4% for labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in 2025.
The figure is up 0.3% 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 Moldova peaked at 72.5% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 39.0%, in 1996.
Moldova ranks 25th of 199 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 30 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total) … national 15+ in Moldova, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 67.8% | — |
| 1992 | 47.5% | -29.9% |
| 1996 | 39.0% | -17.8% |
| 1998 | 45.4% | +16.3% |
| 2000 | 59.9% | +31.9% |
| 2001 | 57.9% | -3.3% |
| 2002 | 57.2% | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 57.2% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 55.1% | -3.7% |
| 2005 | 54.8% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 58.1% | +6.0% |
| 2007 | 58.8% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 59.6% | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 60.7% | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 63.4% | +4.4% |
| 2011 | 64.4% | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 64.8% | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 65.2% | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 69.3% | +6.2% |
| 2015 | 70.2% | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 69.9% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 68.3% | -2.3% |
| 2018 | 67.1% | -1.9% |
| 2019 | 69.3% | +3.4% |
| 2020 | 69.7% | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 72.5% | +4.1% |
| 2022 | 72.5% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 70.8% | -2.4% |
| 2024 | 72.2% | +1.9% |
| 2025 | 72.4% | +0.3% |
Moldova compared with similar countries
- Moldova's 72.4% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 62.4%, 1.2× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Moldova's 72.4% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 61.7%, 1.2× the median. (54 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Labor force participation rate, total (% of total) … national 15+ in Moldova changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | +31.9% | 45.4% | 59.9% |
| 1992 | -29.9% | 67.8% | 47.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 67.8% | 67.8% | 67.8% | 1 |
| 1990s | 44.0% | 39.0% | 47.5% | 3 |
| 2000s | 57.9% | 54.8% | 60.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 67.2% | 63.4% | 70.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.7% | 69.7% | 72.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Moldova
More work & labour data for Moldova
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 654.38 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 72.49 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 1,725 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 1.5 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 0.726 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 24,890 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 5,854 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 71.4 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) -0.868 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate -0.4043 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Moldova?
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Moldova was 72.4% 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 Moldova?
- The highest recorded value was 72.5% in 2022.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) recorded in Moldova?
- The lowest recorded value was 39.0% in 1996.
- How does Moldova rank for labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+)?
- Moldova ranks 25th out of 199 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) rising or falling in Moldova?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Moldova 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.