Wednesday 21 October Colnbrook
  1. Home
  2. Statistics
  3. United Kingdom
  4. Economy & jobs
  5. Labour force participation
Economy & jobs Statistics · Country

Labour force participation in United Kingdom

1990 – 2025 · 36 data points 19 of 41 · Countries Updated 21 Oct 2026

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1990 – 2025

Labour force participation, 1990 – 2025 percent · United Kingdom · World
−0.9 pp since 2015
United Kingdom World

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1990 – 2025

Compared with Labour force participation · percent
United Kingdom
61.4%
World
61.0%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators

The series at a glance United Kingdom · 1990 – 2025
Latest value 61.4% · 2025
First value 62.4% · 1990
Highest 62.6% · 2019
Lowest 60.6% · 1995
Data points 36

By year

All years · 1990 – 2025

YearUnited KingdomChange World
2025 61.4% −0.2 pp 61.0%
2024 61.6% −0.3 pp 61.1%
2023 61.8% −0.1 pp 61.2%
2022 61.9% −0.1 pp 60.7%
2021 62.0% −0.6 pp 60.4%
2020 62.6% −0.1 pp 59.6%
2019 62.6% +0.0 pp 61.0%
2018 62.6% +0.2 pp 61.2%
2017 62.4% +0.0 pp 61.3%
2016 62.4% +0.2 pp 61.5%
2015 62.2% +0.1 pp 61.6%
2014 62.1% +0.1 pp 61.8%
2013 62.0% +0.0 pp 62.0%
2012 62.0% +0.2 pp 62.2%
2011 61.8% −0.0 pp 62.4%
2010 61.8% −0.2 pp 62.6%
2009 62.0% −0.2 pp 62.8%
2008 62.2% +0.2 pp 63.1%
2007 61.9% −0.2 pp 63.4%
2006 62.1% +0.4 pp 63.5%
2005 61.7% +0.2 pp 63.8%
2004 61.4% +0.0 pp 63.8%
2003 61.4% +0.1 pp 63.9%
2002 61.3% +0.3 pp 64.1%
2001 61.0% −0.4 pp 64.2%
2000 61.3% +0.2 pp 64.4%
1999 61.1% +0.3 pp 64.6%
1998 60.8% −0.1 pp 64.5%
1997 60.9% +0.2 pp 64.7%
1996 60.7% +0.1 pp 64.7%
1995 60.6% −0.2 pp 64.8%
1994 60.8% −0.2 pp 65.0%
1993 61.0% −0.5 pp 65.0%
1992 61.5% −0.4 pp 65.3%
1991 62.0% −0.4 pp 65.4%
1990 62.4% 65.5%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1990 – 2025

Ranking · Countries

2024 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryLabour force participation
41 Yemen 33.2%
40 Algeria 41.2%
39 Egypt 44.6%
38 Italy 49.6%
37 Gabon 51.3%
36 Romania 51.5%
35 Greece 52.3%
34 Sierra Leone 53.6%
33 Türkiye 54.2%
32 India 55.6%
31 France 55.7%
30 Bulgaria 56.3%
29 Honduras 56.6%
28 Hong Kong SAR China 56.8%
27 Spain 57.8%
26 Poland 58.7%
25 Bangladesh 58.9%
24 Finland 59.9%
23 Czechia 60.6%
22 Germany 60.9%
21 Philippines 61.4%
20 United Kingdom 61.6%
19 Mexico 61.6%
18 Russia 61.8%
17 Argentina 61.9%
16 United States 62.0%
15 Chile 62.3%
14 Lithuania 63.1%
13 Brazil 63.3%
12 Colombia 63.5%
11 Congo - Kinshasa 64.4%
10 South Korea 64.5%
9 Ecuador 64.5%
8 Canada 64.7%
7 China 64.9%
6 Saudi Arabia 65.2%
5 Norway 65.8%
4 Netherlands 67.5%
3 Congo - Brazzaville 67.8%
2 Indonesia 67.9%
1 Liberia 76.6%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 2024

What it means

The share of adults who work or are looking for work.

How it is calculated

Employed plus unemployed people aged 15 and over (16 in the US) divided by the population of that age.