Labour force participation rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in India
India: Labour force participation rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) was 55.26 in 2025. βΌ Falling
Labour force participation rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in India, 1961β2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) in India is 55.26, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.0% on the previous year and up 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) in India peaked at 67.32 in 1961 and was at its lowest, 47.56, in 2018.
That places India 156th out of 210 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 18 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 67.32 | 67.32 | 67.32 | 1 |
| 1970s | 53.42 | 53.42 | 53.42 | 1 |
| 1980s | 60.77 | 60.77 | 60.77 | 1 |
| 1990s | 58.01 | 57.95 | 58.08 | 2 |
| 2000s | 58.71 | 57.2 | 60.24 | 3 |
| 2010s | 51.27 | 47.56 | 54.73 | 4 |
| 2020s | 53.46 | 50.45 | 55.8 | 6 |
Countries ranked near India
More work & labour data for India
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.5076 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.5078 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Rural population, annual growth rate -1.12 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Urban population, annual growth rate 1.47 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Urban population 876,613 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Rural population 782,365 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Total Population - Female 743,542 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Total Population - Male 761,710 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Total Population - Both sexes 1.51 million 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Total Population - Male, per unit of GDP 0 1000 No per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) in India?
- Labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) in India was 55.26 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 67.32 in 1961.
- What is the lowest labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.56 in 2018.
- How does India rank for labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13)?
- India ranks 156th out of 210 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this India 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.
Download this data
CSV Β· JSON β 18 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
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.