Labor force participation rate in Pakistan
Pakistan: Labor force participation rate was 52.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force participation rate in Pakistan, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate in Pakistan stood at 52.3%.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Pakistan peaked at 52.7% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 48.4%, in 1995.
That places Pakistan 148th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 49.5% | 48.4% | 50.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 50.4% | 50.0% | 50.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.3% | 50.8% | 52.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 52.3% | 51.6% | 52.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
- 145 Sierra Leone 53.4% compare
- 146 Guinea 52.6% compare
- 147 French Polynesia 52.4% compare
- 149 Cuba 52.2% compare
- 150 Croatia 52.1% compare
- 151 Papua New Guinea 52.1% compare
More work & labour data for Pakistan
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Criminal sanctions or compensation for workplace sexual harassment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 52.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 80.1% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 30.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 24.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-6 54.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 83.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 25.6% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate in Pakistan?
- Labor force participation rate in Pakistan was 52.3% 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 Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 52.7% in 2021.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.4% in 1995.
- How does Pakistan rank for labor force participation rate?
- Pakistan ranks 148th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Pakistan 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).