Labour force participation rate in Australia
Australia: Labour force participation rate was 66.92 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
66.92 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup
Change on year
up 0.0%
World rank
5th
of 33 countries
All-time high
66.92 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup
in 2025
All-time low
60.44 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup
in 1983
Years of data
47
1979–2025
Labour force participation rate in Australia, 1979–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup.
Analysis
Australia recorded 66.92 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup for labour force participation rate in 2025. That is the highest value across all 47 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labour force participation rate in Australia peaked at 66.92 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup in 2025 and was at its lowest, 60.44 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup, in 1983.
Australia ranks 5th of 33 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 47 years of available data.
Labour force participation rate in Australia, year by year
| Year | Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 60.76 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | — |
| 1980 | 61.29 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.9% |
| 1981 | 61.14 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 60.78 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 60.44 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.6% |
| 1984 | 60.55 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 60.8 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 61.89 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +1.8% |
| 1987 | 61.96 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 62.38 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 63.16 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 63.75 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 63.14 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 62.86 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 62.45 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 62.93 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 63.54 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 63.52 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 63.12 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 63 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 62.76 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 63.14 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 63.3 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 63.36 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 63.59 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 63.46 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 64.4 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 64.76 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 65.17 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 65.48 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 65.43 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 65.39 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 65.42 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 65.15 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 64.94 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 64.7 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 65 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 64.83 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 65.02 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 65.44 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 65.79 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 64.73 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 65.57 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 66.39 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 66.68 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 66.89 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 66.92 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.0% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 66.92 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup is above the median for high income countries, which is 62.09 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup, 1.1× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 60.76 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 60.76 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 60.76 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 1 |
| 1980s | 61.44 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 60.44 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 63.16 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 10 |
| 1990s | 63.11 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 62.45 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 63.75 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 10 |
| 2000s | 64.21 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 63.14 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 65.48 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 10 |
| 2010s | 65.17 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 64.7 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 65.79 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 10 |
| 2020s | 66.2 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 64.73 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 66.92 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 6 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 2 Estonia 66.45 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup compare
- 2 New Zealand 70.5 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup compare
- 3 Lithuania 63.08 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup compare
- 3 Sweden 67.53 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup compare
- 3 Croatia 54.1 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup compare
- 4 Latvia 61.62 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup compare
- 4 Switzerland 67.33 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup compare
- 5 Slovenia 58.5 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup compare
- 6 Ireland 66.12 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup compare
- 7 Norway 65.5 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup compare
- 7 Poland 58.08 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup compare
- 8 Canada 65.28 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup compare
More work & labour data for Australia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.5057 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.4907 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.5202 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9895 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.8931 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 30,186 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 3,001 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 21,642 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 21,502 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 43,144 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labour force participation rate in Australia?
- Labour force participation rate in Australia was 66.92 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest labour force participation rate recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 66.92 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup in 2025.
- What is the lowest labour force participation rate recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 60.44 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup in 1983.
- How does Australia rank for labour force participation rate?
- Australia ranks 5th out of 33 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labour force participation rate rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Labour force participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The infra-annual dataflow on the labour force participation rate is a subset of the infra-annual labour statistics database, which contains predominantly monthly and quarterly statistics on the labour force participation rate by age groups (15+, 15-24, 25-54, 55-64, 15-64 and 15-74 where available) and sex and associated statistical methodological information and associated statistical methodological information, for the OECD member countries and for selected other economies. The labour force participation rate is calculated as the number of the labour force population as a percentage of the working age population. The infra-annual labour statistics compiled for all OECD member countries, are drawn from Labour Force Surveys based on definition provided by the 19th Conference of Labour Statisticians in 2013. The uniform application of these definitions across all OECD member countries results in estimates that are internationally comparable.