Labor force participation rate in Hong Kong

Hong Kong: Labor force participation rate was 56.36 in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
56.36
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
132nd
of 186 countries
All-time high
63.44
in 1991
All-time low
56.36
in 2025
Years of data
36
1990–2025

Labor force participation rate in Hong Kong, 1990–2025

02040601990200720251990: 63.21991: 63.41992: 62.41993: 621994: 61.81995: 61.71996: 61.41997: 61.21998: 61.11999: 60.92000: 60.72001: 612002: 61.32003: 60.72004: 60.72005: 60.62006: 60.52007: 60.62008: 60.12009: 602010: 58.82011: 59.32012: 59.72013: 60.52014: 60.32015: 60.52016: 60.42017: 60.52018: 60.62019: 602020: 592021: 58.72022: 57.92023: 57.22024: 56.82025: 56.4

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for labor force participation rate in Hong Kong is 56.36, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 6.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Hong Kong peaked at 63.44 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 56.36, in 2025.

Hong Kong ranks 132nd of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 61.92 60.93 63.44 10
2000s 60.61 59.98 61.25 10
2010s 60.07 58.82 60.65 10
2020s 57.66 56.36 58.98 6

Countries ranked near Hong Kong

  1. 129 Cape Verde 57.02 compare
  2. 130 Honduras 56.56 compare
  3. 131 New Caledonia 56.42 compare
  4. 133 Bulgaria 56.12 compare
  5. 134 Comoros 55.77 compare
  6. 135 India 55.66 compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More work & labour data for Hong Kong

All data for Hong Kong →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force participation rate in Hong Kong?
Labor force participation rate in Hong Kong was 56.36 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in Hong Kong?
The highest recorded value was 63.44 in 1991.
What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Hong Kong?
The lowest recorded value was 56.36 in 2025.
How does Hong Kong rank for labor force participation rate?
Hong Kong ranks 132nd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Hong Kong?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Hong Kong 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.

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About this data

Indicator
Labor force participation rate
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
186 places, 6,682 data points, 1990–2025
Last refreshed