Labor force participation rate in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Labor force participation rate was 58.8 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
58.8
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
113th
of 186 countries
All-time high
61.87
in 2022
All-time low
56.09
in 2016
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Labor force participation rate in Bangladesh, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for labor force participation rate in Bangladesh is 58.8, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 4.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Bangladesh peaked at 61.87 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 56.09, in 2016.
That places Bangladesh 113th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
Labor force participation rate in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 56.78 | — |
| 1991 | 56.92 | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 57.07 | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 57.22 | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 57.38 | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 57.53 | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 57.69 | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 57.84 | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 57.97 | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 58.08 | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 58.16 | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 58.21 | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 58.21 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 58.19 | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 58.16 | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 58.12 | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 58.07 | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 58.2 | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 58.32 | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 58.45 | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 58.58 | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 58.11 | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 57.65 | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 57.18 | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 56.82 | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 56.45 | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 56.09 | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 58.33 | +4.0% |
| 2018 | 58.91 | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 59.47 | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 59.77 | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 61.09 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | 61.87 | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 60.88 | -1.6% |
| 2024 | 58.9 | -3.3% |
| 2025 | 58.8 | -0.2% |
Bangladesh compared with similar countries
- Bangladesh's 58.8 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 57.67, 1.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Bangladesh's 58.8 is above the median for South Asia, which is 57.23, 1.0× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 57.45 | 56.78 | 58.08 | 10 |
| 2000s | 58.21 | 58.07 | 58.45 | 10 |
| 2010s | 57.76 | 56.09 | 59.47 | 10 |
| 2020s | 60.22 | 58.8 | 61.87 | 6 |
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 in Bangladesh?
- Labor force participation rate in Bangladesh was 58.8 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 61.87 in 2022.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 56.09 in 2016.
- How does Bangladesh rank for labor force participation rate?
- Bangladesh ranks 113th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
- The figures come from 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).