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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

Labour force participation, 1990 – 2025 percent · India · World
+2.6 pp since 2015
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

YearIndiaChange 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

2021 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryLabour force participation
42 Yemen 32.3%
41 Algeria 38.4%
40 Egypt 43.0%
39 Lebanon 45.5%
38 Italy 48.4%
37 Gabon 48.5%
36 Greece 50.3%
35 Türkiye 51.4%
34 Romania 52.5%
33 India 52.5%
32 Sierra Leone 53.6%
31 Bulgaria 55.4%
30 France 55.6%
29 Philippines 56.5%
28 Spain 57.3%
27 Chile 57.6%
26 Poland 58.7%
25 Hong Kong SAR China 58.7%
24 Czechia 59.4%
23 Finland 59.8%
22 Mexico 59.9%
21 Argentina 60.4%
20 Germany 60.4%
19 Honduras 60.7%
18 Bangladesh 61.1%
17 United States 61.5%
16 Russia 62.0%
15 United Kingdom 62.0%
14 Lithuania 62.3%
13 Brazil 62.5%
12 South Korea 62.6%
11 Saudi Arabia 63.5%
10 Congo - Kinshasa 63.6%
9 Colombia 64.3%
8 Canada 65.2%
7 Congo - Brazzaville 65.5%
6 Norway 65.7%
5 Ecuador 65.7%
4 Indonesia 65.9%
3 Netherlands 66.5%
2 China 67.1%
1 Liberia 76.3%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 2021

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.