Labor participation rate in Hong Kong
Hong Kong: Labor participation rate was 56.36 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor participation rate in Hong Kong, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Hong Kong recorded 56.36 for labor participation rate in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 6.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor participation rate in Hong Kong peaked at 63.44 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 56.36, in 2025.
That places Hong Kong 132nd out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor participation rate in Hong Kong, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 63.22 | — |
| 1991 | 63.44 | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 62.4 | -1.6% |
| 1993 | 61.99 | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 61.82 | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 61.67 | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 61.38 | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 61.18 | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 61.15 | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 60.93 | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 60.7 | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 60.97 | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 61.25 | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 60.75 | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 60.68 | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 60.57 | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 60.54 | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 60.56 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 60.08 | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 59.98 | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 58.82 | -1.9% |
| 2011 | 59.33 | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 59.74 | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 60.49 | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 60.33 | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 60.47 | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 60.4 | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 60.47 | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 60.65 | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 59.99 | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 58.98 | -1.7% |
| 2021 | 58.74 | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 57.85 | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 57.22 | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 56.84 | -0.7% |
| 2025 | 56.36 | -0.8% |
Hong Kong compared with similar countries
- Hong Kong's 56.36 is below the median for high income countries, which is 62.28, 90% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Hong Kong's 56.36 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 64.35, 88% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 61.92 | 60.93 | 63.44 | 10 |
| 2000s | 60.61 | 59.98 | 61.25 | 10 |
| 2010s | 60.07 | 58.82 | 60.65 | 10 |
| 2020s | 57.66 | 56.36 | 58.98 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Hong Kong
More work & labour data for Hong Kong
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 2,981 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 55.13 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 3,663 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 2.78 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.06 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 149,185 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 100,833 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 53.6 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.56 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate -1.12 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor participation rate in Hong Kong?
- Labor participation rate in Hong Kong was 56.36 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor participation rate recorded in Hong Kong?
- The highest recorded value was 63.44 in 1991.
- What is the lowest labor participation rate recorded in Hong Kong?
- The lowest recorded value was 56.36 in 2025.
- How does Hong Kong rank for labor participation rate?
- Hong Kong ranks 132nd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor participation rate rising or falling in Hong Kong?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Hong Kong data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Labor 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).