Labour force participation in World
The ILO estimates that 60.8% of people aged 15 and over in the world were in the labour force in 2025.
World is a group: All economies covered by the World Bank. The value is the aggregate published by ILOSTAT, not an average calculated on this site.
World, 2025
60.8%
Change from 2024
−0.2percentage points
Labour force participation in World over time
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World
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 | World |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 60.8% |
| 2024 | 61.0% |
| 2023 | 61.0% |
| 2022 | 60.7% |
| 2021 | 60.4% |
| 2020 | 59.7% |
| 2019 | 61.0% |
| 2018 | 61.2% |
| 2017 | 61.3% |
| 2016 | 61.5% |
Flags: f Projection . A dash means no value was published.
In short
- That is a change of −0.2 percentage points from 61.0% in 2024.
- Since 2015, when it was 61.7%, the figure has changed by −0.8 percentage points.
More for World
All statistics for World
Women's labour force participation
48.7%
2025 · ILOSTAT
Employment-to-population ratio
57.9%
2025 · ILOSTAT
ILO estimate of the unemployment rate
4.9%
2025 · ILOSTAT
ILO estimate of youth unemployment
12.4%
2025 · ILOSTAT
Employment in agriculture
25.8%
2025 · World Bank
Employment in industry
23.7%
2025 · World Bank