Labor force participation rate in Yemen
Yemen: Labor force participation rate was 33.1 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
33.1
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
184th
of 186 countries
All-time high
45.99
in 1999
All-time low
32.07
in 2015
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Labor force participation rate in Yemen, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate in Yemen stood at 33.1.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 3.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Yemen peaked at 45.99 in 1999 and was at its lowest, 32.07, in 2015.
That places Yemen 184th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate in Yemen, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 44.23 | — |
| 1991 | 44.19 | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 44.14 | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 44.14 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 44.12 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 44.48 | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 44.85 | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 45.23 | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 45.59 | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 45.99 | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 45.2 | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 44.44 | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 43.72 | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 43.05 | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 42.42 | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 41.87 | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 41.36 | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 40.89 | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 40.47 | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 40.08 | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 39.72 | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 38.92 | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 38.21 | -1.8% |
| 2013 | 37.56 | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 36.97 | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 32.07 | -13.3% |
| 2016 | 32.28 | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 32.47 | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 32.61 | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 32.73 | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 32.49 | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 32.31 | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 33.02 | +2.2% |
| 2023 | 33.11 | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 33.19 | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 33.1 | -0.2% |
Yemen compared with similar countries
- Yemen's 33.1 is below the median for low income countries, which is 67.04, 49% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Yemen's 33.1 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 44.99, 74% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 44.7 | 44.12 | 45.99 | 10 |
| 2000s | 42.35 | 40.08 | 45.2 | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.36 | 32.07 | 39.72 | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.87 | 32.31 | 33.19 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Yemen
- 181 Afghanistan 37.46 compare
- 182 Syria 36.9 compare
- 183 Somalia 33.85 compare
- 185 Djibouti 31.74 compare
- 186 Sao Tome and Principe 23.34 compare
More work & labour data for Yemen
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.2706 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.2636 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.2778 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.4814 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.12 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 27,630 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 20,674 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 54,803 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 55,233 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 110,036 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate in Yemen?
- Labor force participation rate in Yemen was 33.1 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in Yemen?
- The highest recorded value was 45.99 in 1999.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Yemen?
- The lowest recorded value was 32.07 in 2015.
- How does Yemen rank for labor force participation rate?
- Yemen ranks 184th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Yemen?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Yemen 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).