Labour force participation rates by citizenship by country
Countries reporting
47
Highest
81.5%
Iceland
Lowest
53.8%
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Median
68.2%
Years covered
31
1995–2025
Data points
1,321
What the numbers show
Labour force participation rates by citizenship is currently reported for 47 countries. The highest value is 81.5% in Iceland; the lowest is 53.8% in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The median across all reporting countries is 68.2%, and the mean is 67.0%.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 2.
Over the past decade 41 countries rose and 4 fell. The largest increase was in Malta (up 22.6%), and the largest decrease in Romania (down 5.3%).
Labour force participation rates by citizenship: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iceland | 81.5% | 2025 | down 1.8% | flat |
| 2 | Netherlands | 76.2% | 2025 | up 8.5% | rising |
| 2 | Netherlands | 76.2% | 2025 | up 8.5% | rising |
| 4 | Sweden | 75.7% | 2025 | up 5.1% | rising |
| 5 | Switzerland | 75.5% | 2025 | up 0.7% | flat |
| 6 | Estonia | 74.1% | 2025 | up 6.6% | rising |
| 6 | Estonia | 74.1% | 2025 | up 6.6% | rising |
| 8 | Denmark | 74.0% | 2025 | up 9.6% | flat |
| 9 | Malta | 73.8% | 2025 | up 22.6% | rising |
| 10 | Norway | 72.9% | 2025 | up 2.7% | flat |
| 11 | Ireland | 71.9% | 2025 | up 8.8% | rising |
| 11 | Cyprus | 71.9% | 2025 | up 7.5% | rising |
| 13 | Lithuania | 70.7% | 2025 | up 6.6% | rising |
| 13 | Lithuania | 70.7% | 2025 | up 6.6% | rising |
| 15 | Germany | 70.3% | 2025 | up 2.9% | rising |
| 16 | United Kingdom | 69.8% | 2019 | up 1.9% | flat |
| 16 | United Kingdom | 69.8% | 2019 | up 1.9% | flat |
| 18 | Latvia | 69.3% | 2025 | up 2.7% | rising |
| 18 | Latvia | 69.3% | 2025 | up 2.7% | rising |
| 20 | Austria | 69.2% | 2025 | up 3.4% | rising |
| 20 | Finland | 69.2% | 2025 | up 5.0% | flat |
| 22 | Portugal | 68.6% | 2025 | up 4.7% | flat |
| 23 | Czechia | 68.3% | 2025 | up 5.7% | rising |
| 24 | Hungary | 68.2% | 2025 | up 13.9% | rising |
| 25 | Luxembourg | 67.3% | 2025 | up 3.9% | rising |
| 26 | Slovakia | 66.6% | 2025 | up 4.2% | rising |
| 26 | Slovakia | 66.6% | 2025 | up 4.2% | rising |
| 28 | Spain | 65.6% | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 29 | Slovenia | 65.4% | 2025 | up 3.3% | rising |
| 29 | Slovenia | 65.4% | 2025 | up 3.3% | rising |
| 31 | France | 64.8% | 2025 | up 3.7% | rising |
| 32 | Poland | 64.3% | 2025 | up 5.2% | rising |
| 32 | Poland | 64.3% | 2025 | up 5.2% | rising |
| 34 | Bulgaria | 62.9% | 2025 | up 5.0% | rising |
| 35 | Belgium | 62.7% | 2025 | up 5.0% | rising |
| 36 | Serbia | 62.3% | 2025 | up 9.9% | rising |
| 36 | Serbia | 62.3% | 2025 | up 9.9% | rising |
| 38 | Greece | 61.3% | 2025 | up 3.2% | rising |
| 39 | Croatia | 60.6% | 2025 | up 3.2% | rising |
| 39 | Croatia | 60.6% | 2025 | up 3.2% | rising |
| 41 | Italy | 58.1% | 2025 | up 3.9% | rising |
| 42 | North Macedonia | 57.1% | 2025 | down 2.7% | flat |
| 42 | North Macedonia | 57.1% | 2025 | down 2.7% | flat |
| 44 | Romania | 57.0% | 2025 | down 5.3% | falling |
| 45 | Montenegro | 56.8% | 2020 | up 9.7% | rising |
| 46 | Türkiye | 56.2% | 2025 | up 5.2% | rising |
| 47 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 53.8% | 2025 | — | flat |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.