Labor force participation rate in Germany
Germany: Labor force participation rate was 60.57 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
60.57
Change on year
down 0.6%
World rank
99th
of 186 countries
All-time high
61.31
in 2019
All-time low
57.46
in 2004
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Labor force participation rate in Germany, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Germany recorded 60.57 for labor force participation rate in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.6% on the previous year and up 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Germany peaked at 61.31 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 57.46, in 2004.
That places Germany 99th 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 Germany, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 58.17 | — |
| 1991 | 59.6 | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 59.08 | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 58.55 | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 58.68 | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 58.25 | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 58.01 | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 58.23 | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 58.17 | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 58.34 | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 57.99 | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 57.9 | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 57.79 | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 57.85 | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 57.46 | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 58.33 | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 59 | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 59.06 | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 59.09 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 59.21 | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 59.31 | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 59.85 | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 59.96 | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 60.28 | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 60.38 | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 60.22 | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 60.41 | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 60.66 | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 60.86 | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 61.31 | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 60.48 | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 60.4 | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 60.84 | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 61.05 | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 60.92 | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 60.57 | -0.6% |
Germany compared with similar countries
- Germany's 60.57 is below the median for high income countries, which is 62.28, 97% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Germany's 60.57 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 60.23, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 58.51 | 58.01 | 59.6 | 10 |
| 2000s | 58.37 | 57.46 | 59.21 | 10 |
| 2010s | 60.32 | 59.31 | 61.31 | 10 |
| 2020s | 60.71 | 60.4 | 61.05 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More work & labour data for Germany
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.0436 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.0549 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0322 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.95 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.0388 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 66,826 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 12,413 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 35,391 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 35,508 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 70,900 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate in Germany?
- Labor force participation rate in Germany was 60.57 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 61.31 in 2019.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 57.46 in 2004.
- How does Germany rank for labor force participation rate?
- Germany ranks 99th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Germany 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).