Labour force participation rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in China

China: Labour force participation rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) was 70.25 in 2018. β–Ό Falling

Latest (2018)
70.25
Change on year
down 0.9%
World rank
39th
of 210 countries
All-time high
79.17
in 1990
All-time low
70.25
in 2018
Years of data
20
1982–2018

Labour force participation rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in China, 1982–2018

0204060801982200020181982: 78.71990: 79.22000: 74.22001: 76.52002: 75.72003: 752004: 74.22005: 74.22006: 73.72007: 73.22008: 72.82009: 72.52010: 712011: 70.82012: 70.72013: 70.72014: 70.62015: 70.72016: 70.92018: 70.3

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

The most recent figure for labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) in China is 70.25, measured in 2018. That is the lowest value across all 20 years on record.

That represents a change of down 0.9% on the previous year and down 3.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) in China peaked at 79.17 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 70.25, in 2018.

China ranks 39th of 210 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 20 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 78.74 78.74 78.74 1
1990s 79.17 79.17 79.17 1
2000s 74.2 72.46 76.46 10
2010s 70.71 70.25 70.96 8

Countries ranked near China

  1. 36 Oman 70.6 compare
  2. 37 New Zealand 70.5 compare
  3. 38 San Marino 70.47 compare
  4. 40 Montserrat 70.05 compare
  5. 41 Belize 69.73 compare
  6. 42 Vanuatu 69.63 compare

See the full ranking of 297 places β†’

More work & labour data for China

All data for China β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) in China?
Labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) in China was 70.25 in 2018, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 79.17 in 1990.
What is the lowest labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 70.25 in 2018.
How does China rank for labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13)?
China ranks 39th out of 210 countries with data for 2018.
Is labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Labour force participation rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Labour force participation rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in China. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/labour-force-participation-rate-previous-ilo-definition-icls13-15-6/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Labour force participation rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
297 places, 7,586 data points, 1946–2027
Last refreshed

With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. The labour force participation rate is the labour force as a percent of the working-age population. The labour force is the sum of all persons of working age who are employed and those who are unemployed. For more information, refer to the Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.