Labor force participation rate in Netherlands
Netherlands: Labor force participation rate was 67.25 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
67.25
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
43rd
of 186 countries
All-time high
67.95
in 2001
All-time low
66.13
in 2017
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Labor force participation rate in Netherlands, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for labor force participation rate in Netherlands is 67.25, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Netherlands peaked at 67.95 in 2001 and was at its lowest, 66.13, in 2017.
That places Netherlands 43rd out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
Labor force participation rate in Netherlands, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 66.34 | — |
| 1991 | 66.55 | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 66.74 | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 66.8 | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 66.82 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 66.81 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 66.94 | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 67.11 | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 67.29 | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 67.54 | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 67.8 | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 67.95 | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 67.87 | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 67.67 | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 67.42 | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 67.2 | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 67.17 | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 67.17 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 67.15 | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 66.82 | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 66.5 | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 66.39 | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 66.78 | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 66.73 | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 66.16 | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 66.47 | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 66.28 | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 66.13 | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 66.38 | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 66.71 | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 66.54 | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 66.53 | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 67.23 | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 67.72 | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 67.46 | -0.4% |
| 2025 | 67.25 | -0.3% |
Netherlands compared with similar countries
- Netherlands's 67.25 is above the median for high income countries, which is 62.28, 1.1× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Netherlands's 67.25 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 60.23, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 66.89 | 66.34 | 67.54 | 10 |
| 2000s | 67.42 | 66.82 | 67.95 | 10 |
| 2010s | 66.45 | 66.13 | 66.78 | 10 |
| 2020s | 67.12 | 66.53 | 67.72 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Netherlands
- 40 Kazakhstan 67.77 compare
- 41 Zimbabwe 67.72 compare
- 42 Kenya 67.39 compare
- 44 Cote d'Ivoire 67.09 compare
- 45 Mali 67.04 compare
- 46 East Timor 66.98 compare
More work & labour data for Netherlands
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 5,256 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 66.71 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 10,535 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 4.03 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 0.834 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 130,584 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 94,797 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 64.03 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.4 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.1112 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate in Netherlands?
- Labor force participation rate in Netherlands was 67.25 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in Netherlands?
- The highest recorded value was 67.95 in 2001.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Netherlands?
- The lowest recorded value was 66.13 in 2017.
- How does Netherlands rank for labor force participation rate?
- Netherlands ranks 43rd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Netherlands?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Netherlands 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).