Labour force participation in Bangladesh
The ILO estimates that 58.8% of people aged 15 and over in Bangladesh were in the labour force in 2025. The value for 2025 is the lowest since 2017.
Bangladesh, 2025
58.8%
Change from 2024
−0.1percentage points
World, 2025
60.8%
Position in 2025
112th of 181
Labour force participation in Bangladesh over time
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Bangladesh
World
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The chart loads when you scroll to it. The table below shows the same data.
The chart shows a calculation from the published values. The table below keeps the published values.
% of working-age population aged 15 and over. Source: ILO, ILOSTAT (ILO Modelled Estimates). Gaps mean no published value; points are not joined across missing years. Dashed lines are projections.
| Period | Bangladesh | World |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 58.8% | 60.8% |
| 2024 | 58.9% | 61.0% |
| 2023 | 60.9% | 61.0% |
| 2022 | 61.9% | 60.7% |
| 2021 | 61.1% | 60.4% |
| 2020 | 59.8% | 59.7% |
| 2019 | 59.5% | 61.0% |
| 2018 | 58.9% | 61.2% |
| 2017 | 58.3% | 61.3% |
| 2016 | 56.1% | 61.5% |
Flags: f Projection . A dash means no value was published.
In short
- That is a change of −0.1 percentage points from 58.9% in 2024.
- Since 2015, when it was 56.5%, the figure has changed by +2.3 percentage points.
- Among the 181 countries with data for 2025, Bangladesh has the 112th highest value.
- The figure for the world in 2025 was 60.8%.
More for Bangladesh
All statistics for Bangladesh
Women's labour force participation
38.6%
2025 · ILOSTAT
Employment-to-population ratio
56.6%
2025 · ILOSTAT
ILO estimate of the unemployment rate
3.8%
2025 · ILOSTAT
ILO estimate of youth unemployment
9.4%
2025 · ILOSTAT
Employment in agriculture
44.3%
2025 · World Bank
Employment in industry
18.0%
2025 · World Bank