Labor force participation rate in Canada
Canada: Labor force participation rate was 64.52 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
64.52
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
69th
of 186 countries
All-time high
67.27
in 2008
All-time low
64.1
in 2020
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Labor force participation rate in Canada, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate in Canada stood at 64.52.
The figure is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 2.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Canada peaked at 67.27 in 2008 and was at its lowest, 64.1, in 2020.
That places Canada 69th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
Labor force participation rate in Canada, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 66.76 | — |
| 1991 | 66.23 | -0.8% |
| 1992 | 65.3 | -1.4% |
| 1993 | 64.94 | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 64.75 | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 64.4 | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 64.22 | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 64.42 | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 64.67 | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 65.07 | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 65.29 | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 65.41 | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 66.39 | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 67.11 | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 67.06 | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 66.73 | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 66.83 | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 67.11 | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 67.27 | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 66.95 | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 66.73 | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 66.59 | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 66.56 | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 66.54 | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 66.02 | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 65.89 | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 65.64 | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 65.79 | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 65.55 | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 65.81 | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 64.1 | -2.6% |
| 2021 | 65.19 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 65.25 | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 65.36 | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 64.74 | -1.0% |
| 2025 | 64.52 | -0.3% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 64.52 is above the median for high income countries, which is 62.28, 1.0× the median. (62 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 65.08 | 64.22 | 66.76 | 10 |
| 2000s | 66.61 | 65.29 | 67.27 | 10 |
| 2010s | 66.11 | 65.55 | 66.73 | 10 |
| 2020s | 64.86 | 64.1 | 65.36 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More work & labour data for Canada
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.3281 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.3334 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.3231 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.29 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.6552 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 39,234 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,715 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 26,798 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 26,814 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 53,612 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate in Canada?
- Labor force participation rate in Canada was 64.52 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 67.27 in 2008.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 64.1 in 2020.
- How does Canada rank for labor force participation rate?
- Canada ranks 69th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Canada 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).