Labour force participation rate in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Labour force participation rate was 63.79 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup in 2025. ▬ Flat
Labour force participation rate in United Kingdom, 1993–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup.
Analysis
United Kingdom recorded 63.79 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup for labour force participation rate in 2025.
That represents a change of up 1.2% on the previous year and up 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labour force participation rate in United Kingdom peaked at 64.11 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup in 2019 and was at its lowest, 62.48 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup, in 1995.
United Kingdom ranks 12th of 33 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Labour force participation rate in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 62.7 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | — |
| 1994 | 62.5 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 62.48 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 62.49 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 62.61 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 62.52 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 62.9 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 62.93 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 62.79 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 62.95 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 63.02 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 63.04 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 63.18 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 63.62 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 63.46 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 63.64 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 63.4 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 63.18 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 63.12 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 63.29 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 63.37 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 63.42 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 63.48 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 63.62 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 63.57 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 63.78 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 64.11 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 63.68 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 63.25 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 62.97 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 63.14 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 63.06 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 63.79 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | +1.2% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 63.79 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)
- United Kingdom's 63.79 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 61.5 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup, 1.0× the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 62.6 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 62.48 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 62.9 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 7 |
| 2000s | 63.2 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 62.79 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 63.64 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 10 |
| 2010s | 63.49 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 63.12 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 64.11 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 10 |
| 2020s | 63.32 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 62.97 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 63.79 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 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
- 11 Japan 63.87 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
- 15 Luxembourg 62.25 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup compare
More work & labour data for United Kingdom
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 22,956 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 60.91 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 35,770 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 4.93 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.07 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 111,361 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 100,223 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 57.91 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.47 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.4352 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labour force participation rate in United Kingdom?
- Labour force participation rate in United Kingdom was 63.79 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 64.11 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup in 2019.
- What is the lowest labour force participation rate recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 62.48 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup in 1995.
- How does United Kingdom rank for labour force participation rate?
- United Kingdom ranks 12th out of 33 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labour force participation rate rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.