Persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by willingness to work - quarterly data by country
Countries reporting
45
Highest
28,740 Thousand persons
Türkiye
Lowest
55.8 Thousand persons
Iceland
Median
1,375 Thousand persons
Years covered
29
1998–2026
Data points
1,257
What the numbers show
Persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by willingness to work - quarterly data is currently reported for 45 countries. The highest value is 28,740 Thousand persons in Türkiye; the lowest is 55.8 Thousand persons in Iceland.
The median across all reporting countries is 1,375 Thousand persons, and the mean is 4,304 Thousand persons.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 515.
Over the past decade 9 countries rose and 36 fell. The largest increase was in Iceland (up 37.1%), and the largest decrease in Hungary (down 21.6%).
Persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Türkiye | 28,740 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 11.8% | rising |
| 2 | Italy | 18,556 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 3.9% | falling |
| 3 | Germany | 18,113 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 1.2% | falling |
| 4 | France | 16,650 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 5.5% | rising |
| 5 | United Kingdom | 14,434 Thousand persons | 2020 | up 0.8% | rising |
| 5 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 14,434 Thousand persons | 2020 | up 0.8% | rising |
| 7 | Spain | 12,907 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 7.4% | flat |
| 8 | Poland | 9,711 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 9.5% | falling |
| 8 | Poland | 9,711 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 9.5% | falling |
| 10 | Romania | 6,171 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 0.9% | falling |
| 11 | Belgium | 3,232 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 1.9% | flat |
| 12 | Netherlands | 3,086 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 17.1% | falling |
| 12 | Netherlands | 3,086 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 17.1% | falling |
| 14 | Greece | 2,912 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 9.4% | falling |
| 15 | Portugal | 2,518 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 5.3% | falling |
| 16 | Czechia | 2,343 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 16.1% | falling |
| 17 | Hungary | 2,255 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 21.6% | falling |
| 18 | Austria | 2,050 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 1.9% | falling |
| 19 | Serbia | 1,879 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 18.1% | falling |
| 20 | Bulgaria | 1,782 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 20.9% | falling |
| 21 | Sweden | 1,698 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 16.8% | falling |
| 22 | Switzerland | 1,597 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 8.1% | rising |
| 23 | Slovakia | 1,375 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 8.7% | falling |
| 23 | Slovakia | 1,375 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 8.7% | falling |
| 25 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1,235 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 3.7% | falling |
| 26 | Ireland | 1,179 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 1.3% | rising |
| 27 | Croatia | 1,144 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 12.8% | falling |
| 27 | Croatia | 1,144 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 12.8% | falling |
| 29 | Finland | 1,118 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 21.2% | falling |
| 30 | Denmark | 1,098 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 18.8% | rising |
| 31 | Norway | 1,094 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 7.1% | rising |
| 32 | Lithuania | 620.4 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 9.5% | falling |
| 32 | Lithuania | 620.4 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 9.5% | falling |
| 34 | North Macedonia | 593 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 11.3% | falling |
| 35 | Slovenia | 541.5 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 5.3% | falling |
| 35 | Slovenia | 541.5 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 5.3% | falling |
| 37 | Latvia | 417.8 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 8.3% | falling |
| 37 | Latvia | 417.8 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 8.3% | falling |
| 39 | Estonia | 263 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 8.6% | falling |
| 39 | Estonia | 263 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 8.6% | falling |
| 41 | Montenegro | 216.4 Thousand persons | 2020 | down 6.1% | falling |
| 42 | Cyprus | 206.1 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 0.5% | rising |
| 43 | Luxembourg | 166.6 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 11.7% | rising |
| 44 | Malta | 118.6 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 13.7% | falling |
| 45 | Iceland | 55.8 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 37.1% | rising |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- European Union - 27 countries (from 2020) 112,231 Thousand persons
- Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026) 88,954 Thousand persons