Potential labour force in Eastern Asia

Eastern Asia: Potential labour force was 29,986 in 2027. ▼ Falling

Latest (2027)
29,986
Change on year
down 0.2%
Rank
15th
of 87 groups
All-time high
37,854
in 2004
All-time low
29,703
in 2023
Years of data
24
2004–2027

Potential labour force in Eastern Asia, 2004–2027

010.0k20.0k30.0k40.0k2004201520272004: 37.9k2005: 37.4k2006: 36.6k2007: 35.3k2008: 35.7k2009: 35.7k2010: 34.5k2011: 33.5k2012: 33.3k2013: 33.2k2014: 32.8k2015: 32.7k2016: 32.2k2017: 32.1k2018: 31.5k2019: 30.9k2020: 34.8k2021: 30.9k2022: 31.0k2023: 29.7k2024: 30.0k2025: 30.0k2026: 30.0k2027: 30.0k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2027, potential labour force in Eastern Asia stood at 29,986.

That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and down 6.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, potential labour force in Eastern Asia peaked at 37,854 in 2004 and was at its lowest, 29,703, in 2023.

Eastern Asia ranks 15th of 87 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.

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

Potential labour force in Eastern Asia, year by year

Annual values for Potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in Eastern Asia, 2004 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2004 37,854
2005 37,433 -1.1%
2006 36,557 -2.3%
2007 35,340 -3.3%
2008 35,706 +1.0%
2009 35,694 -0.0%
2010 34,530 -3.3%
2011 33,514 -2.9%
2012 33,256 -0.8%
2013 33,165 -0.3%
2014 32,818 -1.0%
2015 32,718 -0.3%
2016 32,222 -1.5%
2017 32,114 -0.3%
2018 31,470 -2.0%
2019 30,929 -1.7%
2020 34,753 +12.4%
2021 30,883 -11.1%
2022 31,024 +0.5%
2023 29,703 -4.3%
2024 30,006 +1.0%
2025 30,022 +0.1%
2026 30,035 +0.0%
2027 29,986 -0.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 36,431 35,340 37,854 6
2010s 32,674 30,929 34,530 10
2020s 30,801 29,703 34,753 8

More work & labour data for Eastern Asia

All data for Eastern Asia →

Frequently asked questions

What is potential labour force in Eastern Asia?
Potential labour force in Eastern Asia was 29,986 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest potential labour force recorded in Eastern Asia?
The highest recorded value was 37,854 in 2004.
What is the lowest potential labour force recorded in Eastern Asia?
The lowest recorded value was 29,703 in 2023.
How does Eastern Asia rank for potential labour force?
Eastern Asia ranks 15th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
Is potential labour force rising or falling in Eastern Asia?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Eastern Asia 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 Eastern Asia. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/potential-labour-force-ilo-modelled-estimates/eastern-asia/

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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.