Potential labour force in ASEAN

ASEAN: Potential labour force was 9,046 in 2027. ▼ Falling

Latest (2027)
9,046
Change on year
up 1.1%
Rank
39th
of 87 groups
All-time high
13,305
in 2021
All-time low
8,603
in 2019
Years of data
24
2004–2027

Potential labour force in ASEAN, 2004–2027

05.0k10.0k15.0k2004201520272004: 12.9k2005: 13.2k2006: 13.1k2007: 13.0k2008: 13.2k2009: 13.3k2010: 13.1k2011: 12.5k2012: 12.1k2013: 12.2k2014: 11.9k2015: 11.7k2016: 12.1k2017: 11.5k2018: 11.4k2019: 8.6k2020: 12.9k2021: 13.3k2022: 9.6k2023: 8.9k2024: 8.8k2025: 8.9k2026: 9.0k2027: 9.0k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

ASEAN recorded 9,046 for potential labour force in 2027.

The figure is up 1.1% on the previous year and down 21.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, potential labour force in ASEAN peaked at 13,305 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 8,603, in 2019.

That places ASEAN 39th out of 87 groups with data for 2027, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.

Potential labour force in ASEAN, year by year

Annual values for Potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in ASEAN, 2004 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2004 12,891
2005 13,169 +2.2%
2006 13,121 -0.4%
2007 13,021 -0.8%
2008 13,167 +1.1%
2009 13,273 +0.8%
2010 13,141 -1.0%
2011 12,498 -4.9%
2012 12,068 -3.4%
2013 12,150 +0.7%
2014 11,913 -2.0%
2015 11,694 -1.8%
2016 12,074 +3.3%
2017 11,528 -4.5%
2018 11,405 -1.1%
2019 8,603 -24.6%
2020 12,948 +50.5%
2021 13,305 +2.8%
2022 9,607 -27.8%
2023 8,875 -7.6%
2024 8,784 -1.0%
2025 8,880 +1.1%
2026 8,951 +0.8%
2027 9,046 +1.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 13,107 12,891 13,273 6
2010s 11,707 8,603 13,141 10
2020s 10,049 8,784 13,305 8

More work & labour data for ASEAN

All data for ASEAN →

Frequently asked questions

What is potential labour force in ASEAN?
Potential labour force in ASEAN was 9,046 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest potential labour force recorded in ASEAN?
The highest recorded value was 13,305 in 2021.
What is the lowest potential labour force recorded in ASEAN?
The lowest recorded value was 8,603 in 2019.
How does ASEAN rank for potential labour force?
ASEAN ranks 39th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
Is potential labour force rising or falling in ASEAN?
Over the last ten years it is down 21.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this ASEAN data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Potential labour force in ASEAN. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/potential-labour-force-ilo-modelled-estimates/asean/

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About this data

Indicator
Potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
87 places, 2,088 data points, 2004–2027
Last refreshed

Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. The potential labour force refers to persons not in employment who express an interest in this form of work but for whom existing conditions limit their active job search and/or their availability. This group is used to calculate alternative measures of labour underutilization. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.