Potential labour force in Southern Asia
Southern Asia: Potential labour force was 18,186 in 2027. ▼ Falling
Potential labour force in Southern Asia, 2004–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Southern Asia recorded 18,186 for potential labour force in 2027.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.6% on the previous year and down 20.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, potential labour force in Southern Asia peaked at 29,203 in 2004 and was at its lowest, 17,323, in 2024.
Southern Asia ranks 21st 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 Southern Asia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 29,203 | — |
| 2005 | 29,191 | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 28,827 | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 28,399 | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 28,607 | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 28,275 | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 27,898 | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 27,525 | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 27,097 | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 25,663 | -5.3% |
| 2014 | 24,740 | -3.6% |
| 2015 | 24,144 | -2.4% |
| 2016 | 23,524 | -2.6% |
| 2017 | 22,845 | -2.9% |
| 2018 | 21,664 | -5.2% |
| 2019 | 19,868 | -8.3% |
| 2020 | 20,975 | +5.6% |
| 2021 | 18,612 | -11.3% |
| 2022 | 17,593 | -5.5% |
| 2023 | 17,723 | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 17,323 | -2.3% |
| 2025 | 17,622 | +1.7% |
| 2026 | 17,904 | +1.6% |
| 2027 | 18,186 | +1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 28,751 | 28,275 | 29,203 | 6 |
| 2010s | 24,497 | 19,868 | 27,898 | 10 |
| 2020s | 18,242 | 17,323 | 20,975 | 8 |
More work & labour data for Southern Asia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 1.25 million 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.3226 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.02 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.48 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.3261 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.3247 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 2.49 million 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 1.28 million 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1.10 million 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 1.24 million 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is potential labour force in Southern Asia?
- Potential labour force in Southern Asia was 18,186 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest potential labour force recorded in Southern Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 29,203 in 2004.
- What is the lowest potential labour force recorded in Southern Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 17,323 in 2024.
- How does Southern Asia rank for potential labour force?
- Southern Asia ranks 21st out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
- Is potential labour force rising or falling in Southern Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Southern 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
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.