Labour force participation rate in Japan
Japan: Labour force participation rate was 63.87 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
63.87 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
11th
of 33 countries
All-time high
70.87 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup
in 1955
All-time low
59.1 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup
in 2012
Years of data
71
1955–2025
Labour force participation rate in Japan, 1955–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup.
Analysis
Japan recorded 63.87 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup for labour force participation rate in 2025.
That represents a change of up 0.9% on the previous year and up 7.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labour force participation rate in Japan peaked at 70.87 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup in 1955 and was at its lowest, 59.1 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup, in 2012.
Japan ranks 11th of 33 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 71 years of available data.
Labour force participation rate in Japan, year by year
| Year | Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | 70.87 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | — |
| 1956 | 70.62 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.4% |
| 1957 | 70.72 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.1% |
| 1958 | 69.77 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -1.3% |
| 1959 | 69.09 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -1.0% |
| 1960 | 69.3 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.3% |
| 1961 | 69.18 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.2% |
| 1962 | 68.33 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -1.2% |
| 1963 | 67.08 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -1.8% |
| 1964 | 66.16 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -1.4% |
| 1965 | 65.72 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.7% |
| 1966 | 65.84 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 65.97 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.2% |
| 1968 | 65.99 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 65.59 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.6% |
| 1970 | 65.43 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.2% |
| 1971 | 65.09 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.5% |
| 1972 | 64.53 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.9% |
| 1973 | 64.8 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.4% |
| 1974 | 63.84 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -1.5% |
| 1975 | 63.23 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -1.0% |
| 1976 | 63.15 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 63.32 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 63.57 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 63.62 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 63.49 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 63.51 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 63.57 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 64.05 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 63.73 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.5% |
| 1985 | 63.35 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.6% |
| 1986 | 63.15 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 62.92 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 62.91 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.0% |
| 1989 | 63.17 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 63.57 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 64.06 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 64.13 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 63.88 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 63.67 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 63.47 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 63.53 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 63.73 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 63.38 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 62.96 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 62.52 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 62.07 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 61.27 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 60.87 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.6% |
| 2004 | 60.51 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 60.48 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 60.46 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 60.44 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 60.23 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 59.93 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 59.72 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 59.35 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 59.1 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 59.38 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 59.52 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 59.66 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 60.12 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 60.59 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 61.66 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 62.26 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 62.19 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 62.35 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 62.58 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 62.9 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 63.31 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.7% |
| 2025 | 63.87 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.9% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 63.87 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, 1.0× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 70.21 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 69.09 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 70.87 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 5 |
| 1960s | 66.92 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 65.59 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 69.3 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 10 |
| 1970s | 64.06 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 63.15 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 65.43 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 10 |
| 1980s | 63.39 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 62.91 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 64.05 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 10 |
| 1990s | 63.64 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 62.96 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 64.13 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 10 |
| 2000s | 60.88 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 59.93 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 62.52 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 10 |
| 2010s | 60.14 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 59.1 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 62.26 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 10 |
| 2020s | 62.87 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 62.19 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 63.87 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 6 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 8 Canada 65.28 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup compare
- 9 Denmark 65.15 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup compare
- 9 Türkiye 53.52 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup compare
- 10 Colombia 64.3 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup compare
- 12 United Kingdom 63.79 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup compare
- 13 United States 62.6 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup compare
- 14 Israel 62.48 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup compare
More work & labour data for Japan
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.4984 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.5262 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.4728 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.25 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.4618 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 103,039 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,756 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 39,867 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 36,979 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 76,846 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labour force participation rate in Japan?
- Labour force participation rate in Japan was 63.87 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 Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 70.87 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup in 1955.
- What is the lowest labour force participation rate recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 59.1 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup in 2012.
- How does Japan rank for labour force participation rate?
- Japan ranks 11th out of 33 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labour force participation rate rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan 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.
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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.