Labour force participation rates by country of birth - quarterly data by country
Countries reporting
45
Highest
80.3%
Iceland
Lowest
52.9%
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Median
68.5%
Years covered
29
1998–2026
Data points
1,258
What the numbers show
Labour force participation rates by country of birth - quarterly data is currently reported for 45 countries. The highest value is 80.3% in Iceland; the lowest is 52.9% in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The median across all reporting countries is 68.5%, and the mean is 67.1%.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 2.
Over the past decade 40 countries rose and 5 fell. The largest increase was in Malta (up 20.6%), and the largest decrease in Romania (down 3.1%).
Labour force participation rates by country of birth - quarterly data: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iceland | 80.3% | 2025 | down 2.0% | flat |
| 2 | Netherlands | 76.2% | 2026 | up 8.9% | rising |
| 2 | Netherlands | 76.2% | 2026 | up 8.9% | rising |
| 4 | Switzerland | 75.3% | 2026 | down 0.8% | flat |
| 5 | Sweden | 75.2% | 2026 | up 5.2% | rising |
| 6 | Malta | 74.3% | 2026 | up 20.6% | rising |
| 7 | Denmark | 74.2% | 2026 | up 9.6% | flat |
| 8 | Estonia | 73.2% | 2026 | up 4.7% | rising |
| 8 | Estonia | 73.2% | 2026 | up 4.7% | rising |
| 10 | Norway | 72.5% | 2026 | up 4.0% | flat |
| 11 | Cyprus | 71.7% | 2026 | up 7.3% | rising |
| 12 | Lithuania | 71.0% | 2026 | up 4.9% | rising |
| 12 | Lithuania | 71.0% | 2026 | up 4.9% | rising |
| 14 | Ireland | 70.8% | 2026 | up 6.6% | rising |
| 15 | Germany | 70.3% | 2026 | up 1.0% | rising |
| 16 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 69.7% | 2020 | up 2.0% | flat |
| 16 | United Kingdom | 69.7% | 2020 | up 2.0% | flat |
| 18 | Austria | 69.1% | 2026 | up 2.1% | rising |
| 19 | Portugal | 68.8% | 2026 | up 4.7% | flat |
| 19 | Czechia | 68.8% | 2026 | up 4.7% | rising |
| 21 | Latvia | 68.7% | 2026 | up 1.0% | rising |
| 21 | Latvia | 68.7% | 2026 | up 1.0% | rising |
| 23 | Finland | 68.5% | 2026 | up 6.2% | flat |
| 24 | Hungary | 68.1% | 2026 | up 10.7% | rising |
| 25 | Luxembourg | 66.6% | 2026 | up 3.6% | rising |
| 26 | Slovakia | 66.5% | 2026 | up 2.9% | rising |
| 26 | Slovakia | 66.5% | 2026 | up 2.9% | rising |
| 28 | Spain | 65.4% | 2026 | up 0.6% | rising |
| 29 | Slovenia | 65.2% | 2026 | up 2.7% | rising |
| 29 | Slovenia | 65.2% | 2026 | up 2.7% | rising |
| 31 | France | 64.9% | 2026 | up 4.3% | flat |
| 32 | Poland | 64.6% | 2026 | up 5.0% | rising |
| 32 | Poland | 64.6% | 2026 | up 5.0% | rising |
| 34 | Belgium | 62.5% | 2026 | up 4.0% | rising |
| 34 | Bulgaria | 62.5% | 2026 | up 6.7% | rising |
| 36 | Serbia | 62.0% | 2026 | up 8.0% | rising |
| 37 | Greece | 61.7% | 2026 | up 3.9% | rising |
| 38 | Croatia | 61.0% | 2026 | up 7.0% | rising |
| 38 | Croatia | 61.0% | 2026 | up 7.0% | rising |
| 40 | Italy | 57.6% | 2026 | up 0.9% | rising |
| 41 | North Macedonia | 57.3% | 2026 | down 1.9% | flat |
| 42 | Romania | 57.0% | 2026 | down 3.1% | falling |
| 43 | Türkiye | 54.2% | 2026 | down 0.2% | rising |
| 44 | Montenegro | 53.8% | 2020 | up 6.3% | rising |
| 45 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 52.9% | 2026 | up 1.5% | flat |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.