Potential labour force rate in Southern Asia

Southern Asia: Potential labour force rate was 2.07 in 2027. ▼ Falling

Latest (2027)
2.07
Change on year
up 0.1%
Rank
72nd
of 87 groups
All-time high
4.69
in 2004
All-time low
2.06
in 2024
Years of data
24
2004–2027

Potential labour force rate in Southern Asia, 2004–2027

0123452004201520272004: 4.72005: 4.62006: 4.52007: 4.42008: 4.42009: 4.32010: 4.22011: 4.12012: 42013: 3.72014: 3.62015: 3.42016: 3.32017: 3.12018: 2.92019: 2.62020: 2.82021: 2.42022: 2.22023: 2.22024: 2.12025: 2.12026: 2.12027: 2.1

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

The most recent figure for potential labour force rate in Southern Asia is 2.07, measured in 2027.

That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and down 33.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, potential labour force rate in Southern Asia peaked at 4.69 in 2004 and was at its lowest, 2.06, in 2024.

That places Southern Asia 72nd out of 87 groups with data for 2027, putting it in the bottom quarter.

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

Potential labour force rate in Southern Asia, year by year

Annual values for Potential labour force rate in Southern Asia, 2004 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2004 4.69 —
2005 4.6 -2.0%
2006 4.5 -2.1%
2007 4.39 -2.3%
2008 4.39 -0.0%
2009 4.3 -2.2%
2010 4.2 -2.2%
2011 4.11 -2.1%
2012 4 -2.7%
2013 3.74 -6.6%
2014 3.56 -4.9%
2015 3.41 -4.1%
2016 3.28 -4.0%
2017 3.12 -4.6%
2018 2.93 -6.3%
2019 2.65 -9.4%
2020 2.79 +5.1%
2021 2.4 -13.8%
2022 2.21 -8.0%
2023 2.16 -2.1%
2024 2.06 -4.6%
2025 2.07 +0.1%
2026 2.07 +0.0%
2027 2.07 +0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 4.48 4.3 4.69 6
2010s 3.5 2.65 4.2 10
2020s 2.23 2.06 2.79 8

More work & labour data for Southern Asia

All data for Southern Asia →

Frequently asked questions

What is potential labour force rate in Southern Asia?
Potential labour force rate in Southern Asia was 2.07 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest potential labour force rate recorded in Southern Asia?
The highest recorded value was 4.69 in 2004.
What is the lowest potential labour force rate recorded in Southern Asia?
The lowest recorded value was 2.06 in 2024.
How does Southern Asia rank for potential labour force rate?
Southern Asia ranks 72nd out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
Is potential labour force rate rising or falling in Southern Asia?
Over the last ten years it is down 33.7%. 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 rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Potential labour force rate in Southern Asia. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 26 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/potential-labour-force-rate/southern-asia/

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About this data

Indicator
Potential labour force rate
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
87 places, 2,088 data points, 2004–2027
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. For more information, refer to the Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.