Labor force participation rate in Bahrain

Bahrain: Labor force participation rate was 70.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
70.4%
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
26th
of 186 countries
All-time high
72.4%
in 2017
All-time low
64.9%
in 2004
Years of data
36
1990–2025

Labor force participation rate in Bahrain, 1990–2025

0204060801990200720251990: 66.7 %1991: 66.4 %1992: 66.4 %1993: 66 %1994: 65.7 %1995: 65.4 %1996: 65.2 %1997: 65.1 %1998: 65.2 %1999: 65.3 %2000: 65.5 %2001: 65.5 %2002: 65.2 %2003: 65 %2004: 64.9 %2005: 65.7 %2006: 66.7 %2007: 68 %2008: 69.3 %2009: 70.7 %2010: 71.7 %2011: 71.2 %2012: 71.6 %2013: 71.5 %2014: 71.2 %2015: 71.4 %2016: 72 %2017: 72.4 %2018: 72.1 %2019: 71.4 %2020: 69.2 %2021: 68.9 %2022: 70.3 %2023: 70.7 %2024: 70.6 %2025: 70.4 %

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

Analysis

Bahrain recorded 70.4% for labor force participation rate in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 1.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Bahrain peaked at 72.4% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 64.9%, in 2004.

That places Bahrain 26th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 65.7% 65.1% 66.7% 10
2000s 66.7% 64.9% 70.7% 10
2010s 71.6% 71.2% 72.4% 10
2020s 70.0% 68.9% 70.7% 6

Countries ranked near Bahrain

  1. 23 Peru 72.9% compare
  2. 24 Vietnam 72.8% compare
  3. 25 Moldova 72.3% compare
  4. 27 New Zealand 70.4% compare
  5. 28 Paraguay 70.2% compare
  6. 29 Burkina Faso 70.0% compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More work & labour data for Bahrain

All data for Bahrain →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force participation rate in Bahrain?
Labor force participation rate in Bahrain was 70.4% 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 Bahrain?
The highest recorded value was 72.4% in 2017.
What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Bahrain?
The lowest recorded value was 64.9% in 2004.
How does Bahrain rank for labor force participation rate?
Bahrain ranks 26th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Bahrain?
Over the last ten years it is down 1.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Bahrain 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).