Labor force participation rate in Romania

Romania: Labor force participation rate was 51.3% in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)
51.3%
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
156th
of 186 countries
All-time high
52.6%
in 2022
All-time low
47.2%
in 2009
Years of data
36
1990–2025

Labor force participation rate in Romania, 1990–2025

02040601990200720251990: 50.1 %1991: 50.3 %1992: 50.7 %1993: 50.8 %1994: 50.6 %1995: 50.4 %1996: 50.3 %1997: 50.6 %1998: 50.8 %1999: 51 %2000: 51.1 %2001: 50.9 %2002: 50.7 %2003: 50.7 %2004: 50.6 %2005: 50.5 %2006: 50.6 %2007: 50.7 %2008: 51 %2009: 47.2 %2010: 50.3 %2011: 49.9 %2012: 50 %2013: 50.1 %2014: 50.5 %2015: 51.2 %2016: 50.9 %2017: 51.8 %2018: 51.8 %2019: 52 %2020: 52 %2021: 52.5 %2022: 52.6 %2023: 51.7 %2024: 51.5 %2025: 51.3 %

Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2025, labor force participation rate in Romania stood at 51.3%.

That represents a change of down 0.3% on the previous year and up 0.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Romania peaked at 52.6% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 47.2%, in 2009.

That places Romania 156th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 50.6% 50.1% 51.0% 10
2000s 50.4% 47.2% 51.1% 10
2010s 50.9% 49.9% 52.0% 10
2020s 51.9% 51.3% 52.6% 6

Countries ranked near Romania

  1. 153 Greece 52.0% compare
  2. 154 North Macedonia 51.9% compare
  3. 155 Venezuela 51.9% compare
  4. 157 Eswatini 51.2% compare
  5. 158 Gabon 51.1% compare
  6. 159 Tonga 49.8% compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More work & labour data for Romania

All data for Romania →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force participation rate in Romania?
Labor force participation rate in Romania was 51.3% 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 Romania?
The highest recorded value was 52.6% in 2022.
What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Romania?
The lowest recorded value was 47.2% in 2009.
How does Romania rank for labor force participation rate?
Romania ranks 156th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Romania?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Romania 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.

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About this data

Indicator
Labor force participation rate
Unit
%
Source
ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
186 places, 6,682 data points, 1990–2025
Last refreshed

Share of the working-age population (ages 15 and over) who are economically active (employed or unemployed).