Number of labour inspectors by country
Labour inspectors are public officials or other authorities who are responsible for three key labour inspection activities: a) securing the enforcement of the legal provisions relating to conditions of work and the protection of workers while engaged in their work, such as provisions relating to hours, wages,...
What the numbers show
Number of labour inspectors is currently reported for 71 countries. The highest value is 6,134 in Germany; the lowest is 5 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The median across all reporting countries is 230, and the mean is 574.31.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 1,227.
Over the past decade 44 countries rose and 25 fell. The largest increase was in Georgia (up 317.4%), and the largest decrease in Macao (down 86.7%).
Number of labour inspectors: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 6,134 | 2023 | up 1.8% | flat |
| 2 | Japan | 3,122 | 2024 | up 8.1% | rising |
| 3 | France | 2,175 | 2019 | up 3.5% | flat |
| 4 | South Korea | 2,141 | 2023 | up 98.2% | rising |
| 5 | Spain | 2,115 | 2021 | up 13.4% | rising |
| 6 | South Africa | 1,854 | 2024 | up 48.3% | rising |
| 7 | Thailand | 1,640 | 2024 | up 119.5% | rising |
| 8 | Poland | 1,505 | 2024 | down 9.5% | falling |
| 9 | Romania | 1,499 | 2022 | down 16.0% | falling |
| 10 | United Kingdom | 1,357 | 2024 | up 37.2% | rising |
| 11 | Colombia | 1,159 | 2023 | up 78.3% | rising |
| 12 | United States | 995 | 2015 | — | flat |
| 13 | Turkey | 920 | 2024 | up 28.9% | rising |
| 14 | Ukraine | 911 | 2024 | up 56.5% | volatile |
| 15 | Chile | 850 | 2024 | up 15.5% | falling |
| 16 | Malaysia | 830 | 2022 | up 105.4% | rising |
| 17 | Mexico | 723 | 2018 | up 145.9% | rising |
| 18 | Peru | 679 | 2018 | up 67.2% | rising |
| 19 | Philippines | 633 | 2023 | up 177.6% | rising |
| 20 | Switzerland | 630 | 2024 | up 5.2% | rising |
| 21 | Sri Lanka | 497 | 2024 | up 11.2% | rising |
| 22 | Czechia | 470 | 2023 | down 27.1% | rising |
| 23 | Portugal | 464 | 2022 | up 18.7% | rising |
| 24 | Bulgaria | 413 | 2024 | up 24.8% | rising |
| 25 | Argentina | 340 | 2024 | down 13.0% | falling |
| 26 | Finland | 333 | 2022 | down 4.3% | falling |
| 27 | Austria | 327 | 2024 | down 0.6% | flat |
| 28 | Uzbekistan | 326 | 2023 | up 7.6% | flat |
| 29 | Norway | 320 | 2024 | down 6.4% | flat |
| 30 | Singapore | 302 | 2024 | up 54.9% | rising |
| 31 | Slovakia | 294 | 2024 | down 9.5% | falling |
| 32 | Belgium | 285 | 2024 | down 8.9% | falling |
| 33 | Zimbabwe | 275 | 2019 | up 292.9% | volatile |
| 34 | Hungary | 268 | 2024 | down 29.5% | falling |
| 35 | Sweden | 263 | 2024 | up 10.0% | rising |
| 36 | Canada | 230 | 2024 | up 39.4% | rising |
| 37 | Israel | 226 | 2023 | down 18.4% | rising |
| 38 | Qatar | 218 | 2022 | up 49.3% | rising |
| 39 | Lithuania | 214 | 2024 | up 10.9% | falling |
| 40 | Azerbaijan | 212 | 2015 | down 2.8% | rising |
| 41 | Belarus | 195 | 2024 | down 7.1% | falling |
| 42 | Hong Kong | 186 | 2014 | up 9.4% | rising |
| 43 | Croatia | 185 | 2024 | down 12.7% | falling |
| 44 | Dominican Republic | 158 | 2014 | down 22.2% | falling |
| 45 | Myanmar | 155 | 2020 | up 171.9% | rising |
| 46 | Mauritius | 135 | 2024 | up 125.0% | rising |
| 47 | El Salvador | 131 | 2021 | down 16.6% | falling |
| 48 | Costa Rica | 118 | 2020 | up 19.2% | rising |
| 49 | Mongolia | 116 | 2024 | up 81.2% | rising |
| 50 | Togo | 111 | 2024 | up 122.0% | rising |
| 51 | Macao | 105 | 2015 | down 86.7% | volatile |
| 51 | Palestine | 105 | 2022 | up 162.5% | rising |
| 53 | Panama | 104 | 2024 | down 44.7% | falling |
| 54 | Latvia | 102 | 2024 | down 4.7% | rising |
| 55 | New Zealand | 101 | 2023 | up 197.1% | rising |
| 56 | Georgia | 96 | 2024 | up 317.4% | volatile |
| 57 | Slovenia | 94 | 2024 | up 22.1% | rising |
| 58 | Namibia | 74 | 2022 | — | flat |
| 59 | Moldova | 64 | 2024 | down 26.4% | falling |
| 60 | Ireland | 63 | 2023 | up 8.6% | falling |
| 61 | Bahrain | 53 | 2020 | up 96.3% | rising |
| 62 | Estonia | 46 | 2023 | up 24.3% | rising |
| 63 | Paraguay | 31 | 2015 | down 34.0% | falling |
| 64 | Belize | 25 | 2022 | up 8.7% | rising |
| 65 | Barbados | 18 | 2015 | up 12.5% | rising |
| 66 | Cyprus | 14 | 2024 | down 30.0% | falling |
| 67 | Seychelles | 12 | 2023 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 68 | Malta | 10 | 2023 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 69 | San Marino | 8 | 2024 | down 20.0% | falling |
| 70 | Andorra | 7 | 2024 | down 12.5% | falling |
| 71 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 5 | 2024 | down 16.7% | flat |
About this data
Labour inspectors are public officials or other authorities who are responsible for three key labour inspection activities: a) securing the enforcement of the legal provisions relating to conditions of work and the protection of workers while engaged in their work, such as provisions relating to hours, wages, safety, health and welfare, the employment of children and young persons, and other connected matters, in so far as such provisions are enforceable by labour inspectors; b) supplying technical information and advice to employers and workers concerning the most effective means of complying with the legal provisions; c) bringing to the notice of the competent authority defects or abuses not specifically covered by existing legal provisions. Labour inspectors have the authority to initiate processes that may lead to legal action. For more information, refer to the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics (OSH) database description.