Labor force participation rate in Japan
Japan: Labor force participation rate was 63.45 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
63.45
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
80th
of 186 countries
All-time high
63.99
in 1992
All-time low
59.01
in 2012
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Labor force participation rate in Japan, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate in Japan stood at 63.45.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 6.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Japan peaked at 63.99 in 1992 and was at its lowest, 59.01, in 2012.
That places Japan 80th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
Labor force participation rate in Japan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 63.39 | — |
| 1991 | 63.79 | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 63.99 | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 63.81 | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 63.61 | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 63.42 | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 63.49 | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 63.67 | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 63.33 | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 62.85 | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 62.44 | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 61.99 | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 61.23 | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 60.77 | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 60.42 | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 60.42 | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 60.42 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 60.4 | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 60.16 | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 59.86 | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 59.58 | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 59.25 | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 59.01 | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 59.24 | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 59.44 | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 59.5 | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 59.99 | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 60.44 | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 61.45 | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 62.01 | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 61.95 | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 62.05 | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 62.5 | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 62.9 | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 63.3 | +0.6% |
| 2025 | 63.45 | +0.2% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 63.45 is above the median for high income countries, which is 62.28, 1.0× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Japan's 63.45 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 64.35, 99% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 63.54 | 62.85 | 63.99 | 10 |
| 2000s | 60.81 | 59.86 | 62.44 | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.99 | 59.01 | 62.01 | 10 |
| 2020s | 62.69 | 61.95 | 63.45 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More work & labour data for Japan
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.4984 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.5262 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.4728 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.25 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.4618 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 103,039 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,756 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 39,867 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 36,979 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 76,846 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate in Japan?
- Labor force participation rate in Japan was 63.45 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 63.99 in 1992.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 59.01 in 2012.
- How does Japan rank for labor force participation rate?
- Japan ranks 80th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Japan 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).