Persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private households by country
Countries reporting
45
Highest
46.2%
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Lowest
18.5%
Iceland
Median
31.7%
Years covered
43
1983–2025
Data points
1,442
What the numbers show
Persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private households is currently reported for 45 countries. The highest value is 46.2% in Bosnia and Herzegovina; the lowest is 18.5% in Iceland.
The median across all reporting countries is 31.7%, and the mean is 32.6%.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 2.
Over the past decade 3 countries rose and 40 fell. The largest increase was in Iceland (up 8.8%), and the largest decrease in Malta (down 34.2%).
Persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 46.2% | 2025 | — | falling |
| 2 | Türkiye | 43.8% | 2025 | down 6.0% | falling |
| 3 | Montenegro | 43.2% | 2020 | down 10.4% | falling |
| 4 | Romania | 43.0% | 2025 | up 8.0% | rising |
| 5 | North Macedonia | 42.9% | 2025 | up 3.9% | flat |
| 6 | Italy | 41.9% | 2025 | down 5.0% | falling |
| 7 | Croatia | 39.4% | 2025 | down 4.6% | falling |
| 7 | Croatia | 39.4% | 2025 | down 4.6% | falling |
| 9 | Greece | 38.7% | 2025 | down 4.7% | falling |
| 10 | Serbia | 37.7% | 2025 | down 12.9% | falling |
| 11 | Belgium | 37.3% | 2025 | down 7.4% | falling |
| 12 | Bulgaria | 37.1% | 2025 | down 7.5% | falling |
| 13 | Poland | 35.7% | 2025 | down 8.2% | falling |
| 13 | Poland | 35.7% | 2025 | down 8.2% | falling |
| 15 | France | 35.2% | 2025 | down 6.1% | falling |
| 16 | Slovenia | 34.6% | 2025 | down 5.7% | falling |
| 16 | Slovenia | 34.6% | 2025 | down 5.7% | falling |
| 18 | Spain | 34.4% | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 19 | Slovakia | 33.4% | 2025 | down 7.5% | falling |
| 19 | Slovakia | 33.4% | 2025 | down 7.5% | falling |
| 21 | Luxembourg | 32.6% | 2025 | down 7.4% | falling |
| 22 | Hungary | 31.8% | 2025 | down 20.7% | falling |
| 23 | Czechia | 31.7% | 2025 | down 10.5% | falling |
| 24 | Portugal | 31.4% | 2025 | down 9.0% | falling |
| 25 | Austria | 30.8% | 2025 | down 6.9% | falling |
| 25 | Finland | 30.8% | 2025 | down 9.7% | flat |
| 27 | Latvia | 30.7% | 2025 | down 5.5% | falling |
| 27 | Latvia | 30.7% | 2025 | down 5.5% | falling |
| 29 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 30.2% | 2019 | down 4.1% | falling |
| 29 | United Kingdom | 30.2% | 2019 | down 4.1% | falling |
| 31 | Germany | 29.7% | 2025 | down 6.3% | falling |
| 32 | Lithuania | 29.3% | 2025 | down 13.1% | falling |
| 32 | Lithuania | 29.3% | 2025 | down 13.1% | falling |
| 34 | Cyprus | 28.1% | 2025 | down 15.1% | falling |
| 34 | Ireland | 28.1% | 2025 | down 17.1% | falling |
| 36 | Norway | 27.1% | 2025 | down 6.6% | flat |
| 37 | Malta | 26.2% | 2025 | down 34.2% | falling |
| 38 | Denmark | 26.0% | 2025 | down 20.0% | rising |
| 39 | Estonia | 25.9% | 2025 | down 15.1% | falling |
| 39 | Estonia | 25.9% | 2025 | down 15.1% | falling |
| 41 | Switzerland | 24.5% | 2025 | down 2.0% | falling |
| 42 | Sweden | 24.3% | 2025 | down 13.2% | falling |
| 43 | Netherlands | 23.8% | 2025 | down 20.1% | falling |
| 43 | Netherlands | 23.8% | 2025 | down 20.1% | falling |
| 45 | Iceland | 18.5% | 2025 | up 8.8% | rising |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.