Labor force participation rate in Tunisia
Tunisia: Labor force participation rate was 45.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate in Tunisia, 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 Tunisia stood at 45.2%. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.6% on the previous year and down 4.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Tunisia peaked at 49.7% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 45.2%, in 2025.
Tunisia ranks 165th of 186 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate in Tunisia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 49.1% | — |
| 1991 | 49.1% | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 49.1% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 49.1% | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 49.1% | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 49.1% | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 49.1% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 49.2% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 48.8% | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 48.4% | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 48.0% | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 47.6% | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 47.2% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 46.8% | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 46.4% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 46.1% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 46.5% | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 46.6% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 46.8% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 47.2% | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 47.4% | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 47.6% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 48.3% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 47.8% | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 47.6% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 47.5% | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 47.7% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 47.5% | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 48.6% | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 49.7% | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 45.5% | -8.4% |
| 2021 | 45.2% | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 46.4% | +2.6% |
| 2023 | 45.8% | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 45.5% | -0.6% |
| 2025 | 45.2% | -0.6% |
Tunisia compared with similar countries
- Tunisia's 45.2% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 57.7%, 78% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Tunisia's 45.2% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 45.0%, 1.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 49.0% | 48.4% | 49.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 46.9% | 46.1% | 48.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.0% | 47.4% | 49.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 45.6% | 45.2% | 46.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Tunisia
More work & labour data for Tunisia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.7093 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.7225 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.6962 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.41 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.6752 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 11,138 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 2,745 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 5,323 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 5,329 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 10,652 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate in Tunisia?
- Labor force participation rate in Tunisia was 45.2% 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 Tunisia?
- The highest recorded value was 49.7% in 2019.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Tunisia?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.2% in 2025.
- How does Tunisia rank for labor force participation rate?
- Tunisia ranks 165th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Tunisia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Tunisia 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).