Labor force participation rate in Australia
Australia: Labor force participation rate was 66.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force participation rate in Australia, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate in Australia stood at 66.5%.
The figure is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 2.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Australia peaked at 67.0% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 62.6%, in 1993.
That places Australia 50th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate in Australia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 63.9% | — |
| 1991 | 63.3% | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 63.0% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 62.6% | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 63.1% | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 63.7% | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 63.6% | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 63.3% | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 63.1% | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 62.9% | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 63.3% | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 63.4% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 63.5% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 63.7% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 63.6% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 64.5% | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 64.8% | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 65.3% | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 65.6% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 65.5% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 65.5% | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 65.5% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 65.2% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 65.0% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 64.8% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 65.1% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 65.0% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 65.2% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 65.8% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 66.1% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 65.0% | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 66.1% | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 66.9% | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 67.0% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 66.7% | -0.5% |
| 2025 | 66.5% | -0.3% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 66.5% is above the median for high income countries, which is 62.3%, 1.1× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Australia's 66.5% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 64.4%, 1.0× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 63.2% | 62.6% | 63.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 64.3% | 63.3% | 65.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 65.3% | 64.8% | 66.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 66.4% | 65.0% | 67.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More work & labour data for Australia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.5057 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.4907 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.5202 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9895 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.8931 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 30,186 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 3,001 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 21,642 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 21,502 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 43,144 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate in Australia?
- Labor force participation rate in Australia was 66.5% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 67.0% in 2023.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 62.6% in 1993.
- How does Australia rank for labor force participation rate?
- Australia ranks 50th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Labor force participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the working-age population (ages 15 and over) who are economically active (employed or unemployed).