Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Germany

Germany: Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) was 1,181 in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
1,181
Change on year
up 4.0%
World rank
14th
of 88 countries
All-time high
1,530
in 2005
All-time low
812.3
in 2019
Years of data
26
1999–2024

Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Germany, 1999–2024

05001.0k1.5k1999201120241999: 1.0k2000: 999.82001: 1.0k2002: 1.0k2003: 1.1k2004: 1.1k2005: 1.5k2006: 1.4k2007: 1.4k2008: 1.3k2009: 1.1k2010: 932.62011: 9982012: 944.12013: 925.62014: 8882015: 909.42016: 936.92017: 903.92018: 832.22019: 812.32020: 1.5k2021: 1.1k2022: 1.1k2023: 1.1k2024: 1.2k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

Germany recorded 1,181 for potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) in 2024.

The figure is up 4.0% on the previous year and up 33.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Germany peaked at 1,530 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 812.3, in 2019.

Germany ranks 14th of 88 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.

Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Germany, year by year

Annual values for Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+) in Germany, 1999 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1999 1,037
2000 999.78 -3.6%
2001 1,003 +0.3%
2002 1,016 +1.3%
2003 1,102 +8.5%
2004 1,080 -2.0%
2005 1,530 +41.7%
2006 1,424 -6.9%
2007 1,430 +0.4%
2008 1,339 -6.4%
2009 1,136 -15.1%
2010 932.64 -17.9%
2011 997.97 +7.0%
2012 944.11 -5.4%
2013 925.57 -2.0%
2014 888.02 -4.1%
2015 909.39 +2.4%
2016 936.94 +3.0%
2017 903.89 -3.5%
2018 832.18 -7.9%
2019 812.3 -2.4%
2020 1,458 +79.5%
2021 1,109 -23.9%
2022 1,110 +0.1%
2023 1,136 +2.4%
2024 1,181 +4.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 1,037 1,037 1,037 1
2000s 1,206 999.78 1,530 10
2010s 908.3 812.3 997.97 10
2020s 1,199 1,109 1,458 5

Countries ranked near Germany

  1. 11 Bangladesh 1,382 compare
  2. 12 Philippines 1,234 compare
  3. 13 Guatemala 1,217 compare
  4. 15 France 1,167 compare
  5. 16 Zambia 952.65 compare
  6. 17 Chile 951.13 compare

See the full ranking of 88 places →

More work & labour data for Germany

All data for Germany →

Frequently asked questions

What is potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Germany?
Potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Germany was 1,181 in 2024, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in Germany?
The highest recorded value was 1,530 in 2005.
What is the lowest potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in Germany?
The lowest recorded value was 812.3 in 2019.
How does Germany rank for potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13)?
Germany ranks 14th out of 88 countries with data for 2024.
Is potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) rising or falling in Germany?
Over the last ten years it is up 33.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Germany data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Germany. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/potential-labour-force-previous-ilo-definition-icls13-15/germany/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/potential-labour-force-previous-ilo-definition-icls13-15/germany/">Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Germany</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
88 places, 1,493 data points, 1987–2025
Last refreshed

With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. 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. Data disaggregated by level of education are provided on the highest level of education completed, classified according to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED). Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISCED. For more information, refer to the Education and Mismatch Indicators (EMI) database description.