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Economy & jobs
Statistics · Country
Labour force participation in India
1990 – 2025 · 36 data points
31 of 41 · Countries
Updated 21 Oct 2026
Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1990 – 2025
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Latest value · 2025
55.7%
+0.0 pp
since 2024
Countries · 2025
31 of 41
Place 1 is the highest value.
since 2015
+2.6 pp
vs World
−5.3 pp
World: 61.0% · 2025
Labour force participation, 1990 – 2025 percent · India · World
+2.6 pp since 2015
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
1990
2000
2005
2010
2015
2025
India
World
Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1990 – 2025
Compared with Labour force participation · percent
India
55.7%
World
61.0%
Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators
The series at a glance India · 1990 – 2025
Latest value
55.7% · 2025
First value
57.9% · 1990
Highest
60.1% · 2000
Lowest
51.5% · 2020
Data points
36
By year
All years · 1990 – 2025
| Year | India | Change | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 55.7% | +0.0 pp | 61.0% |
| 2024 | 55.6% | +0.9 pp | 61.1% |
| 2023 | 54.7% | +1.1 pp | 61.2% |
| 2022 | 53.6% | +1.1 pp | 60.7% |
| 2021 | 52.5% | +1.0 pp | 60.4% |
| 2020 | 51.5% | −0.7 pp | 59.6% |
| 2019 | 52.3% | −0.2 pp | 61.0% |
| 2018 | 52.5% | −0.2 pp | 61.2% |
| 2017 | 52.7% | −0.2 pp | 61.3% |
| 2016 | 52.9% | −0.2 pp | 61.5% |
| 2015 | 53.0% | −0.2 pp | 61.6% |
| 2014 | 53.2% | −0.2 pp | 61.8% |
| 2013 | 53.4% | −0.1 pp | 62.0% |
| 2012 | 53.5% | −0.6 pp | 62.2% |
| 2011 | 54.1% | −0.6 pp | 62.4% |
| 2010 | 54.8% | −0.9 pp | 62.6% |
| 2009 | 55.6% | −0.9 pp | 62.8% |
| 2008 | 56.5% | −0.9 pp | 63.1% |
| 2007 | 57.4% | −0.9 pp | 63.4% |
| 2006 | 58.3% | −0.9 pp | 63.5% |
| 2005 | 59.3% | −0.2 pp | 63.8% |
| 2004 | 59.4% | −0.2 pp | 63.8% |
| 2003 | 59.6% | −0.2 pp | 63.9% |
| 2002 | 59.8% | −0.2 pp | 64.1% |
| 2001 | 59.9% | −0.2 pp | 64.2% |
| 2000 | 60.1% | +0.3 pp | 64.4% |
| 1999 | 59.7% | +0.3 pp | 64.6% |
| 1998 | 59.4% | +0.3 pp | 64.5% |
| 1997 | 59.1% | +0.3 pp | 64.7% |
| 1996 | 58.7% | +0.3 pp | 64.7% |
| 1995 | 58.4% | +0.3 pp | 64.8% |
| 1994 | 58.1% | +0.0 pp | 65.0% |
| 1993 | 58.0% | +0.0 pp | 65.0% |
| 1992 | 58.0% | +0.0 pp | 65.3% |
| 1991 | 58.0% | +0.0 pp | 65.4% |
| 1990 | 57.9% | 65.5% |
Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1990 – 2025
Ranking · Countries
2018 · Place 1 is the highest value.
| # | Territory | Labour force participation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liberia | 76.9% | |
| 2 | Congo - Brazzaville | 68.1% | |
| 3 | China | 67.8% | |
| 4 | Indonesia | 67.7% | |
| 5 | Ecuador | 66.7% | |
| 6 | Honduras | 66.5% | |
| 7 | Netherlands | 66.4% | |
| 8 | Norway | 65.9% | |
| 9 | Canada | 65.5% | |
| 10 | Colombia | 65.2% | |
| 11 | Congo - Kinshasa | 64.5% | |
| 12 | Brazil | 64.5% | |
| 13 | Chile | 63.2% | |
| 14 | South Korea | 62.8% | |
| 15 | United Kingdom | 62.6% | |
| 16 | United States | 62.6% | |
| 17 | Russia | 62.4% | |
| 18 | Lithuania | 61.5% | |
| 19 | Germany | 60.9% | |
| 20 | Hong Kong SAR China | 60.6% | |
| 21 | Mexico | 60.4% | |
| 22 | Czechia | 60.4% | |
| 23 | Argentina | 59.6% | |
| 24 | Saudi Arabia | 59.4% | |
| 25 | Finland | 59.3% | |
| 26 | Philippines | 59.0% | |
| 27 | Bangladesh | 58.9% | |
| 28 | Spain | 57.6% | |
| 29 | Poland | 57.5% | |
| 30 | Bulgaria | 55.3% | |
| 31 | France | 55.3% | |
| 32 | Sierra Leone | 53.9% | |
| 33 | Türkiye | 53.2% | |
| 34 | India | 52.5% | |
| 35 | Romania | 51.8% | |
| 36 | Gabon | 51.3% | |
| 37 | Greece | 50.8% | |
| 38 | Italy | 49.6% | |
| 39 | Lebanon | 48.4% | |
| 40 | Egypt | 43.3% | |
| 41 | Algeria | 42.3% | |
| 42 | Yemen | 32.6% |
Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 2018
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.