Potential labour force in Northern Europe

Northern Europe: Potential labour force was 1,733 in 2027. ▲ Rising

Latest (2027)
1,733
Change on year
up 0.3%
Rank
73rd
of 87 groups
All-time high
1,882
in 2010
All-time low
1,408
in 2007
Years of data
24
2004–2027

Potential labour force in Northern Europe, 2004–2027

05001.0k1.5k2.0k2004201520272004: 1.5k2005: 1.4k2006: 1.4k2007: 1.4k2008: 1.5k2009: 1.8k2010: 1.9k2011: 1.8k2012: 1.9k2013: 1.8k2014: 1.7k2015: 1.7k2016: 1.7k2017: 1.6k2018: 1.6k2019: 1.5k2020: 1.8k2021: 1.9k2022: 1.6k2023: 1.6k2024: 1.7k2025: 1.7k2026: 1.7k2027: 1.7k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

Northern Europe recorded 1,733 for potential labour force in 2027.

The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 6.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, potential labour force in Northern Europe peaked at 1,882 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 1,408, in 2007.

That places Northern Europe 73rd out of 87 groups with data for 2027, putting it in the bottom quarter.

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

Potential labour force in Northern Europe, year by year

Annual values for Potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in Northern Europe, 2004 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2004 1,486 —
2005 1,428 -3.9%
2006 1,409 -1.3%
2007 1,408 -0.1%
2008 1,526 +8.4%
2009 1,785 +17.0%
2010 1,882 +5.5%
2011 1,833 -2.6%
2012 1,858 +1.4%
2013 1,832 -1.4%
2014 1,736 -5.2%
2015 1,680 -3.2%
2016 1,707 +1.6%
2017 1,629 -4.6%
2018 1,586 -2.7%
2019 1,516 -4.4%
2020 1,848 +21.8%
2021 1,880 +1.8%
2022 1,606 -14.6%
2023 1,591 -0.9%
2024 1,664 +4.6%
2025 1,711 +2.8%
2026 1,728 +1.0%
2027 1,733 +0.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1,507 1,408 1,785 6
2010s 1,726 1,516 1,882 10
2020s 1,720 1,591 1,880 8

Countries ranked near Northern Europe

  1. 72 Caribbean 1,918 compare

See the full ranking of 87 places →

More work & labour data for Northern Europe

All data for Northern Europe →

Frequently asked questions

What is potential labour force in Northern Europe?
Potential labour force in Northern Europe was 1,733 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest potential labour force recorded in Northern Europe?
The highest recorded value was 1,882 in 2010.
What is the lowest potential labour force recorded in Northern Europe?
The lowest recorded value was 1,408 in 2007.
How does Northern Europe rank for potential labour force?
Northern Europe ranks 73rd out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
Is potential labour force rising or falling in Northern Europe?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Northern Europe 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 Northern Europe. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 27 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/potential-labour-force-ilo-modelled-estimates/northern-europe/

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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.