Persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private in Ireland
Ireland: Persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private was 29.2% in 2026. ▼ Falling
Latest (2026)
29.2%
Change on year
up 2.8%
World rank
32nd
of 45 countries
All-time high
40.0%
in 1998
All-time low
28.4%
in 2025
Years of data
29
1998–2026
Persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private in Ireland, 1998–2026
Source: Eurostat. Measured in Percentage.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 29.2% for persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private in 2026.
The figure is up 2.8% on the previous year and down 13.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private in Ireland peaked at 40.0% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 28.4%, in 2025.
That places Ireland 32nd out of 45 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 29 years of available data.
Persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private in Ireland, year by year
| Year | Percentage | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 40.0% | — |
| 1999 | 37.3% | -6.8% |
| 2000 | 36.9% | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 36.4% | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 36.5% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 35.9% | -1.6% |
| 2004 | 35.1% | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 33.9% | -3.4% |
| 2006 | 32.9% | -2.9% |
| 2007 | 29.8% | -9.4% |
| 2008 | 31.0% | +4.0% |
| 2009 | 33.0% | +6.5% |
| 2010 | 34.0% | +3.0% |
| 2011 | 34.1% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 34.7% | +1.8% |
| 2013 | 33.9% | -2.3% |
| 2014 | 34.1% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 33.9% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 33.6% | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 33.3% | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 33.2% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 32.5% | -2.1% |
| 2020 | 34.0% | +4.6% |
| 2021 | 29.5% | -13.2% |
| 2022 | 30.0% | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 29.1% | -3.0% |
| 2024 | 28.9% | -0.7% |
| 2025 | 28.4% | -1.7% |
| 2026 | 29.2% | +2.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 38.6% | 37.3% | 40.0% | 2 |
| 2000s | 34.1% | 29.8% | 36.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 33.7% | 32.5% | 34.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.9% | 28.4% | 34.0% | 7 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More work & labour data for Ireland
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.4488 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.4574 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.4405 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.23 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.9335 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 4,354 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,447 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,638 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,649 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 5,286 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private in Ireland?
- Persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private in Ireland was 29.2% in 2026, according to Eurostat.
- What is the highest persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 40.0% in 1998.
- What is the lowest persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.4% in 2025.
- How does Ireland rank for persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private?
- Ireland ranks 32nd out of 45 countries with data for 2026.
- Is persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private households - quarterly data. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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