Labor force with basic education (% of total working-age population) in North America
North America: Labor force with basic education (% of total working-age population) was 42.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force with basic education in North America, 1994–2025
Source: Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO). Measured in % of total working-age population with basic education.
Analysis
North America recorded 42.6% for labor force with basic education in 2025.
The figure is down 3.2% on the previous year and up 2.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force with basic education in North America peaked at 44.0% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 37.3%, in 1994.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 32 years of available data.
Labor force with basic education (% of total working-age population) in North America, year by year
| Year | % of total working-age population with basic education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 37.3% | — |
| 1995 | 37.7% | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 38.0% | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 39.0% | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 39.1% | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 39.3% | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 41.2% | +4.9% |
| 2001 | 41.3% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 41.7% | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 42.1% | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 42.4% | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 42.3% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 43.1% | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 43.5% | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 43.0% | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 42.8% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 42.6% | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 41.7% | -2.1% |
| 2012 | 41.6% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 41.5% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 41.4% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 41.5% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 41.6% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 41.8% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 42.3% | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 42.4% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 41.1% | -3.1% |
| 2021 | 41.9% | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 42.6% | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 44.0% | +3.3% |
| 2024 | 44.0% | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 42.6% | -3.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 38.4% | 37.3% | 39.3% | 6 |
| 2000s | 42.3% | 41.2% | 43.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 41.8% | 41.4% | 42.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 42.7% | 41.1% | 44.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near North America
More work & labour data for North America
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 62.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 51.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 52.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 67.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 52.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 69.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 78.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 74.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 56.8% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 84.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force with basic education in North America?
- Labor force with basic education in North America was 42.6% in 2025, according to Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force with basic education recorded in North America?
- The highest recorded value was 44.0% in 2023.
- What is the lowest labor force with basic education recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.3% in 1994.
- How does North America rank for labor force with basic education?
- North America ranks 13th out of 19 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force with basic education rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North America data come from?
- The figures come from Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force with basic education (% of total working-age population with basic education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The ratio of the labor force with basic education to the working-age population with basic education. Basic education comprises primary education or lower secondary education according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).