Male labor force participation rate in India
India: Male labor force participation rate was 77.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Male labor force participation rate in India, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for male labor force participation rate in India is 77.6%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, male labor force participation rate in India peaked at 84.3% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 75.7%, in 2020.
That places India 32nd out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 84.0% | 83.8% | 84.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 82.4% | 80.2% | 84.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 78.1% | 76.6% | 79.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 76.7% | 75.7% | 77.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near India
More work & labour data for India
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Criminal sanctions or compensation for workplace sexual harassment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 34.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 77.6% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 41.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 32.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 31.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 15.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 45.1% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is male labor force participation rate in India?
- Male labor force participation rate in India was 77.6% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest male labor force participation rate recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 84.3% in 2000.
- What is the lowest male labor force participation rate recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 75.7% in 2020.
- How does India rank for male labor force participation rate?
- India ranks 32nd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is male labor force participation rate rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Male labor force participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the male working-age population (ages 15 and over) who are economically active (employed or unemployed).