Potential labour force in World: High income

World: High income: Potential labour force was 17,357 in 2027. ▼ Falling

Latest (2027)
17,357
Change on year
down 0.3%
Rank
23rd
of 87 groups
All-time high
24,506
in 2020
All-time low
17,357
in 2027
Years of data
24
2004–2027

Potential labour force in World: High income, 2004–2027

05.0k10.0k15.0k20.0k25.0k2004201520272004: 20.7k2005: 20.7k2006: 20.3k2007: 19.7k2008: 19.7k2009: 21.7k2010: 22.1k2011: 22.2k2012: 22.4k2013: 22.8k2014: 23.0k2015: 22.6k2016: 21.8k2017: 20.6k2018: 19.9k2019: 19.8k2020: 24.5k2021: 21.7k2022: 19.0k2023: 17.6k2024: 17.5k2025: 17.4k2026: 17.4k2027: 17.4k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

The most recent figure for potential labour force in World: High income is 17,357, measured in 2027. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.

The figure is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 15.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, potential labour force in World: High income peaked at 24,506 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 17,357, in 2027.

World: High income ranks 23rd of 87 groups on this measure, 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 World: High income, year by year

Annual values for Potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in World: High income, 2004 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2004 20,656
2005 20,691 +0.2%
2006 20,263 -2.1%
2007 19,654 -3.0%
2008 19,723 +0.4%
2009 21,660 +9.8%
2010 22,116 +2.1%
2011 22,171 +0.2%
2012 22,439 +1.2%
2013 22,777 +1.5%
2014 22,991 +0.9%
2015 22,610 -1.7%
2016 21,772 -3.7%
2017 20,618 -5.3%
2018 19,943 -3.3%
2019 19,765 -0.9%
2020 24,506 +24.0%
2021 21,722 -11.4%
2022 18,953 -12.7%
2023 17,592 -7.2%
2024 17,540 -0.3%
2025 17,365 -1.0%
2026 17,412 +0.3%
2027 17,357 -0.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 20,441 19,654 21,660 6
2010s 21,720 19,765 22,991 10
2020s 19,056 17,357 24,506 8

More work & labour data for World: High income

All data for World: High income →

Frequently asked questions

What is potential labour force in World: High income?
Potential labour force in World: High income was 17,357 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest potential labour force recorded in World: High income?
The highest recorded value was 24,506 in 2020.
What is the lowest potential labour force recorded in World: High income?
The lowest recorded value was 17,357 in 2027.
How does World: High income rank for potential labour force?
World: High income ranks 23rd out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
Is potential labour force rising or falling in World: High income?
Over the last ten years it is down 15.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this World: High income 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 World: High income. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/potential-labour-force-ilo-modelled-estimates/world-high-income/

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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.