Labor force participation rate in Eswatini
Eswatini: Labor force participation rate was 51.19 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
51.19
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
157th
of 186 countries
All-time high
54.41
in 1990
All-time low
49.49
in 2020
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Labor force participation rate in Eswatini, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Eswatini recorded 51.19 for labor force participation rate in 2025.
The figure is down 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Eswatini peaked at 54.41 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 49.49, in 2020.
Eswatini ranks 157th of 186 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate in Eswatini, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 54.41 | — |
| 1991 | 54.26 | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 54.11 | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 54.04 | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 54.23 | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 54.35 | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 54.19 | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 53.98 | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 53.73 | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 53.47 | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 53.24 | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 53.03 | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 52.86 | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 52.71 | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 52.59 | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 52.5 | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 52.41 | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 52.3 | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 52.15 | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 51.99 | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 51.84 | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 51.71 | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 51.6 | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 51.5 | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 51.38 | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 51.25 | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 51.13 | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 50.84 | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 50.53 | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 50.23 | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 49.49 | -1.5% |
| 2021 | 49.69 | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 50.43 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 51.22 | +1.6% |
| 2024 | 51.2 | -0.0% |
| 2025 | 51.19 | -0.0% |
Eswatini compared with similar countries
- Eswatini's 51.19 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 57.67, 89% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Eswatini's 51.19 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 64.31, 80% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 54.08 | 53.47 | 54.41 | 10 |
| 2000s | 52.58 | 51.99 | 53.24 | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.2 | 50.23 | 51.84 | 10 |
| 2020s | 50.54 | 49.49 | 51.22 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Eswatini
More work & labour data for Eswatini
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.6638 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.6722 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.6555 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.286 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.13 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 703.04 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,378 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 685.51 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 655.37 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 1,341 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate in Eswatini?
- Labor force participation rate in Eswatini was 51.19 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in Eswatini?
- The highest recorded value was 54.41 in 1990.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Eswatini?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.49 in 2020.
- How does Eswatini rank for labor force participation rate?
- Eswatini ranks 157th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Eswatini?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Eswatini 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).