Labour force participation rates by educational attainment level and country of birth by country
Countries reporting
47
Highest
75.6%
Iceland
Lowest
49.2%
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Median
61.2%
Years covered
31
1995–2025
Data points
1,321
What the numbers show
Labour force participation rates by educational attainment level and country of birth is currently reported for 47 countries. The highest value is 75.6% in Iceland; the lowest is 49.2% in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The median across all reporting countries is 61.2%, and the mean is 60.2%.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 2.
Over the past decade 40 countries rose and 6 fell. The largest increase was in Malta (up 21.2%), and the largest decrease in Iceland (down 8.9%).
Labour force participation rates by educational … country birth level: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iceland | 75.6% | 2025 | down 8.9% | falling |
| 2 | Netherlands | 68.7% | 2025 | up 6.7% | rising |
| 2 | Netherlands | 68.7% | 2025 | up 6.7% | rising |
| 4 | Malta | 67.5% | 2025 | up 21.2% | rising |
| 4 | Sweden | 67.5% | 2025 | up 4.2% | rising |
| 6 | Switzerland | 67.3% | 2025 | down 1.2% | flat |
| 7 | Estonia | 66.4% | 2025 | up 6.9% | rising |
| 7 | Estonia | 66.4% | 2025 | up 6.9% | rising |
| 9 | Ireland | 66.1% | 2025 | up 7.0% | rising |
| 10 | Norway | 65.5% | 2025 | up 0.8% | falling |
| 11 | Denmark | 65.2% | 2025 | up 6.4% | falling |
| 11 | Cyprus | 65.2% | 2025 | up 4.7% | rising |
| 13 | United Kingdom | 63.2% | 2019 | up 1.0% | flat |
| 13 | United Kingdom | 63.2% | 2019 | up 1.0% | flat |
| 15 | Lithuania | 63.1% | 2025 | up 6.6% | rising |
| 15 | Lithuania | 63.1% | 2025 | up 6.6% | rising |
| 17 | Luxembourg | 62.3% | 2025 | up 3.8% | rising |
| 18 | Germany | 61.7% | 2025 | up 2.5% | rising |
| 18 | Austria | 61.7% | 2025 | up 1.6% | rising |
| 20 | Latvia | 61.6% | 2025 | up 2.5% | rising |
| 20 | Latvia | 61.6% | 2025 | up 2.5% | rising |
| 22 | Hungary | 61.5% | 2025 | up 12.2% | rising |
| 23 | Slovakia | 61.2% | 2025 | up 2.7% | flat |
| 23 | Slovakia | 61.2% | 2025 | up 2.7% | flat |
| 25 | Czechia | 61.0% | 2025 | up 2.7% | flat |
| 26 | Finland | 60.9% | 2025 | up 3.4% | flat |
| 27 | Portugal | 59.4% | 2025 | up 1.5% | flat |
| 28 | Slovenia | 58.5% | 2025 | up 2.1% | flat |
| 28 | Slovenia | 58.5% | 2025 | up 2.1% | flat |
| 30 | Spain | 58.2% | 2025 | down 1.0% | rising |
| 31 | Poland | 58.1% | 2025 | up 3.4% | flat |
| 31 | Poland | 58.1% | 2025 | up 3.4% | flat |
| 33 | France | 57.0% | 2025 | up 1.8% | flat |
| 34 | Serbia | 56.0% | 2025 | up 8.3% | rising |
| 34 | Serbia | 56.0% | 2025 | up 8.3% | rising |
| 34 | Belgium | 56.0% | 2025 | up 5.1% | rising |
| 37 | Bulgaria | 55.1% | 2025 | up 1.8% | rising |
| 38 | Croatia | 54.1% | 2025 | up 2.3% | flat |
| 38 | Croatia | 54.1% | 2025 | up 2.3% | flat |
| 40 | Türkiye | 53.5% | 2025 | up 4.5% | rising |
| 41 | Montenegro | 53.3% | 2020 | up 9.9% | rising |
| 42 | Greece | 52.9% | 2025 | up 1.7% | flat |
| 43 | North Macedonia | 52.3% | 2025 | down 5.6% | flat |
| 43 | North Macedonia | 52.3% | 2025 | down 5.6% | flat |
| 45 | Romania | 51.4% | 2025 | down 5.7% | falling |
| 46 | Italy | 49.9% | 2025 | up 1.8% | flat |
| 47 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 49.2% | 2025 | — | flat |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.