Population outside the labour force — Persons outside the labour force in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Population outside the labour force — Persons outside the labour force was 20,378 Persons in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population outside the labour force — Persons outside the labour force in United Kingdom, 1993–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Persons.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population outside the labour force — persons outside the labour force in United Kingdom is 20,378 Persons, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 0.9% on the previous year and up 7.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population outside the labour force — persons outside the labour force in United Kingdom peaked at 20,569 Persons in 2024 and was at its lowest, 16,796 Persons, in 1993.
That places United Kingdom 8th out of 33 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Population outside the labour force — Persons outside the labour force in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Persons | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 16,796 Persons | — |
| 1994 | 16,909 Persons | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 16,970 Persons | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 17,024 Persons | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 17,028 Persons | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 17,136 Persons | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 17,043 Persons | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 17,124 Persons | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 17,304 Persons | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 17,349 Persons | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 17,434 Persons | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 17,566 Persons | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 17,668 Persons | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 17,616 Persons | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 17,869 Persons | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 17,949 Persons | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 18,213 Persons | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 18,490 Persons | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 18,681 Persons | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 18,711 Persons | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 18,790 Persons | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 18,910 Persons | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 19,022 Persons | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 19,088 Persons | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 19,216 Persons | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 19,211 Persons | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 19,165 Persons | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 19,467 Persons | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 19,810 Persons | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 20,148 Persons | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 20,290 Persons | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 20,569 Persons | +1.4% |
| 2025 | 20,378 Persons | -0.9% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 20,378 Persons is above the median for high income countries, which is 3,454 Persons, 5.9× the median. (29 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 20,378 Persons is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3,070 Persons, 6.6× the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16,987 Persons | 16,796 Persons | 17,136 Persons | 7 |
| 2000s | 17,609 Persons | 17,124 Persons | 18,213 Persons | 10 |
| 2010s | 18,928 Persons | 18,490 Persons | 19,216 Persons | 10 |
| 2020s | 20,110 Persons | 19,467 Persons | 20,569 Persons | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 5 Germany 27,503 Persons compare
- 5 Poland 12,858 Persons compare
- 6 Italy 25,790 Persons compare
- 6 Netherlands 4,701 Persons compare
- 7 France 23,942 Persons compare
- 7 Lithuania 919.6 Persons compare
- 8 Slovenia 735.58 Persons compare
- 9 Latvia 595.4 Persons compare
- 9 Spain 17,839 Persons compare
- 10 Estonia 381.52 Persons compare
- 10 Brazil 15,986 Persons compare
- 11 Colombia 14,521 Persons compare
More work & labour data for United Kingdom
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 22,956 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 60.91 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 35,770 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 4.93 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.07 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 111,361 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 100,223 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 57.91 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.47 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.4352 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population outside the labour force — persons outside the labour force in United Kingdom?
- Population outside the labour force — persons outside the labour force in United Kingdom was 20,378 Persons in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest population outside the labour force — persons outside the labour force recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 20,569 Persons in 2024.
- What is the lowest population outside the labour force — persons outside the labour force recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 16,796 Persons in 1993.
- How does United Kingdom rank for population outside the labour force — persons outside the labour force?
- United Kingdom ranks 8th out of 33 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population outside the labour force — persons outside the labour force rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Population outside the labour force — Persons outside the labour force. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The infra-annual dataflow on the outside the labour force population is a subset of the infra-annual labour statistics database, which contains predominantly monthly and quarterly statistics on the outside the labour force population by age groups (15+, 15-24, 25-54, 55-64, 15-64 and 15-74 where available) and sex and associated statistical methodological information and associated statistical methodological information, for the OECD member countries and for selected other economies. The persons outside the labour force comprise all persons of working age who, during the specified reference period, were not in the labour force (that is, were not employed or unemployed). The infra-annual labour statistics compiled for all OECD member countries, are drawn from Labour Force Surveys based on definition provided by the 19th Conference of Labour Statisticians in 2013. The uniform application of these definitions across all OECD member countries results in estimates that are internationally comparable.