Labor force participation rate in Portugal
Portugal: Labor force participation rate was 58.16 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
58.16
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
117th
of 186 countries
All-time high
62.18
in 2007
All-time low
56.83
in 2021
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Labor force participation rate in Portugal, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Portugal recorded 58.16 for labor force participation rate in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.5% on the previous year and down 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Portugal peaked at 62.18 in 2007 and was at its lowest, 56.83, in 2021.
That places Portugal 117th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
Labor force participation rate in Portugal, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 59.72 | — |
| 1991 | 60.98 | +2.1% |
| 1992 | 58.95 | -3.3% |
| 1993 | 58.55 | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 58.51 | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 58.26 | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 58.5 | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 59.14 | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 60.57 | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 60.65 | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 60.8 | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 61.45 | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 62.02 | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 61.98 | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 61.51 | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 61.84 | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 62.05 | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 62.18 | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 62 | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 61.3 | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 61.2 | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 60.47 | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 60.13 | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 59.26 | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 58.78 | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 58.55 | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 58.41 | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 58.88 | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 58.95 | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 58.98 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 57.59 | -2.4% |
| 2021 | 56.83 | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 57.78 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 58.55 | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 58.44 | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 58.16 | -0.5% |
Portugal compared with similar countries
- Portugal's 58.16 is below the median for high income countries, which is 62.28, 93% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Portugal's 58.16 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 60.23, 97% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 59.38 | 58.26 | 60.98 | 10 |
| 2000s | 61.71 | 60.8 | 62.18 | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.36 | 58.41 | 61.2 | 10 |
| 2020s | 57.89 | 56.83 | 58.55 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
More work & labour data for Portugal
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.0538 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.055 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0528 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.28 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.1795 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 7,134 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,861 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 4,504 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 4,250 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 8,754 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate in Portugal?
- Labor force participation rate in Portugal was 58.16 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 62.18 in 2007.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 56.83 in 2021.
- How does Portugal rank for labor force participation rate?
- Portugal ranks 117th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Portugal 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).