Labor force participation rate in Montenegro
Montenegro: Labor force participation rate was 58.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force participation rate in Montenegro, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for labor force participation rate in Montenegro is 58.0%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.5% on the previous year and up 10.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Montenegro peaked at 58.6% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 48.1%, in 2021.
That places Montenegro 119th 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 Montenegro, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 51.0% | — |
| 1991 | 51.1% | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 51.0% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 50.9% | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 50.5% | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 50.2% | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 49.9% | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 49.6% | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 49.4% | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 49.5% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 49.3% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 49.2% | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 49.0% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 48.7% | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 48.5% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 48.3% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 48.2% | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 48.2% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 48.3% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 48.2% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 48.3% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 48.3% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 49.4% | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 49.4% | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 51.6% | +4.5% |
| 2015 | 52.4% | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 52.7% | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 52.6% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 53.6% | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 54.6% | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 50.4% | -7.7% |
| 2021 | 48.1% | -4.5% |
| 2022 | 55.5% | +15.3% |
| 2023 | 58.6% | +5.6% |
| 2024 | 58.2% | -0.6% |
| 2025 | 58.0% | -0.5% |
Montenegro compared with similar countries
- Montenegro's 58.0% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 60.5%, 96% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Montenegro's 58.0% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 60.2%, 96% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 50.3% | 49.4% | 51.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 48.6% | 48.2% | 49.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.3% | 48.3% | 54.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 54.8% | 48.1% | 58.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Montenegro
More work & labour data for Montenegro
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -1.13 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -1.12 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -1.14 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.7 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.0301 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 454.35 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 133.55 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 159.71 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 166.3 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 326.01 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate in Montenegro?
- Labor force participation rate in Montenegro was 58.0% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in Montenegro?
- The highest recorded value was 58.6% in 2023.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Montenegro?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.1% in 2021.
- How does Montenegro rank for labor force participation rate?
- Montenegro ranks 119th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Montenegro?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Montenegro data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by 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).
About this data
Share of the working-age population (ages 15 and over) who are economically active (employed or unemployed).