Male labor participation rate in Japan
Japan: Male labor participation rate was 71.48 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
71.48
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
81st
of 186 countries
All-time high
77.95
in 1993
All-time low
70.21
in 2015
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Male labor participation rate in Japan, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Japan recorded 71.48 for male labor participation rate in 2025.
The figure is up 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, male labor participation rate in Japan peaked at 77.95 in 1993 and was at its lowest, 70.21, in 2015.
That places Japan 81st out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Male labor participation rate in Japan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 77.31 | — |
| 1991 | 77.53 | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 77.89 | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 77.95 | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 77.7 | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 77.52 | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 77.61 | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 77.64 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 77.2 | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 76.8 | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 76.33 | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 75.56 | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 74.65 | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 74.02 | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 73.32 | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 73.2 | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 73.11 | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 73.08 | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 72.63 | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 71.96 | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 71.49 | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 71.08 | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 70.67 | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 70.39 | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 70.34 | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 70.21 | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 70.36 | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 70.44 | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 71.08 | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 71.32 | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 71.35 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 71.18 | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 71.35 | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 71.46 | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 71.5 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 71.48 | -0.0% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 71.48 is above the median for high income countries, which is 68.77, 1.0× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Japan's 71.48 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 72, 99% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 77.52 | 76.8 | 77.95 | 10 |
| 2000s | 73.78 | 71.96 | 76.33 | 10 |
| 2010s | 70.74 | 70.21 | 71.49 | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.39 | 71.18 | 71.5 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More work & labour data for Japan
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.4984 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.5262 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.4728 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.25 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.4618 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 103,039 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,756 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 39,867 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 36,979 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 76,846 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is male labor participation rate in Japan?
- Male labor participation rate in Japan was 71.48 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest male labor participation rate recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 77.95 in 1993.
- What is the lowest male labor participation rate recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 70.21 in 2015.
- How does Japan rank for male labor participation rate?
- Japan ranks 81st out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is male labor participation rate rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Male labor 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).