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Statistics · Country
Labour force participation in China
1990 – 2025 · 36 data points
7 of 41 · Countries
Updated Oct 21, 2026
Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1990 – 2025
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Latest value · 2025
64.6%
−0.4 pp
since 2024
Countries · 2025
7 of 41
Place 1 is the highest value.
since 2015
−4.7 pp
vs World
+3.6 pp
World: 61.0% · 2025
Labour force participation, 1990 – 2025 percent · China · World
−4.7 pp since 2015
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
1990
2000
2005
2010
2015
2025
China
World
Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1990 – 2025
Compared with Labour force participation · percent
China
64.6%
World
61.0%
Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators
The series at a glance China · 1990 – 2025
Latest value
64.6% · 2025
First value
79.2% · 1990
Highest
79.2% · 1990
Lowest
64.6% · 2025
Data points
36
By year
All years · 1990 – 2025
| Year | China | Change | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 64.6% | −0.4 pp | 61.0% |
| 2024 | 64.9% | −0.9 pp | 61.1% |
| 2023 | 65.8% | +0.0 pp | 61.2% |
| 2022 | 65.8% | −1.3 pp | 60.7% |
| 2021 | 67.1% | +1.4 pp | 60.4% |
| 2020 | 65.7% | −1.7 pp | 59.6% |
| 2019 | 67.4% | −0.4 pp | 61.0% |
| 2018 | 67.8% | −0.5 pp | 61.2% |
| 2017 | 68.4% | −0.5 pp | 61.3% |
| 2016 | 68.9% | −0.4 pp | 61.5% |
| 2015 | 69.3% | −0.4 pp | 61.6% |
| 2014 | 69.6% | −0.3 pp | 61.8% |
| 2013 | 70.0% | −0.4 pp | 62.0% |
| 2012 | 70.4% | −0.5 pp | 62.2% |
| 2011 | 70.9% | −0.1 pp | 62.4% |
| 2010 | 71.0% | −0.3 pp | 62.6% |
| 2009 | 71.3% | −0.3 pp | 62.8% |
| 2008 | 71.6% | −0.3 pp | 63.1% |
| 2007 | 72.0% | −0.3 pp | 63.4% |
| 2006 | 72.3% | −0.3 pp | 63.5% |
| 2005 | 72.6% | −0.3 pp | 63.8% |
| 2004 | 72.9% | −0.3 pp | 63.8% |
| 2003 | 73.2% | −0.3 pp | 63.9% |
| 2002 | 73.6% | −0.3 pp | 64.1% |
| 2001 | 73.9% | −0.3 pp | 64.2% |
| 2000 | 74.2% | −0.5 pp | 64.4% |
| 1999 | 74.7% | −0.5 pp | 64.6% |
| 1998 | 75.2% | −0.5 pp | 64.5% |
| 1997 | 75.8% | −0.5 pp | 64.7% |
| 1996 | 76.3% | −0.5 pp | 64.7% |
| 1995 | 76.8% | −0.5 pp | 64.8% |
| 1994 | 77.3% | −0.5 pp | 65.0% |
| 1993 | 77.8% | −0.5 pp | 65.0% |
| 1992 | 78.2% | −0.5 pp | 65.3% |
| 1991 | 78.7% | −0.5 pp | 65.4% |
| 1990 | 79.2% | 65.5% |
Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1990 – 2025
Ranking · Countries
2021 · Place 1 is the highest value.
| # | Territory | Labour force participation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liberia | 76.3% | |
| 2 | China | 67.1% | |
| 3 | Netherlands | 66.5% | |
| 4 | Indonesia | 65.9% | |
| 5 | Ecuador | 65.7% | |
| 6 | Norway | 65.7% | |
| 7 | Congo - Brazzaville | 65.5% | |
| 8 | Canada | 65.2% | |
| 9 | Colombia | 64.3% | |
| 10 | Congo - Kinshasa | 63.6% | |
| 11 | Saudi Arabia | 63.5% | |
| 12 | South Korea | 62.6% | |
| 13 | Brazil | 62.5% | |
| 14 | Lithuania | 62.3% | |
| 15 | United Kingdom | 62.0% | |
| 16 | Russia | 62.0% | |
| 17 | United States | 61.5% | |
| 18 | Bangladesh | 61.1% | |
| 19 | Honduras | 60.7% | |
| 20 | Germany | 60.4% | |
| 21 | Argentina | 60.4% | |
| 22 | Mexico | 59.9% | |
| 23 | Finland | 59.8% | |
| 24 | Czechia | 59.4% | |
| 25 | Hong Kong SAR China | 58.7% | |
| 26 | Poland | 58.7% | |
| 27 | Chile | 57.6% | |
| 28 | Spain | 57.3% | |
| 29 | Philippines | 56.5% | |
| 30 | France | 55.6% | |
| 31 | Bulgaria | 55.4% | |
| 32 | Sierra Leone | 53.6% | |
| 33 | India | 52.5% | |
| 34 | Romania | 52.5% | |
| 35 | Türkiye | 51.4% | |
| 36 | Greece | 50.3% | |
| 37 | Gabon | 48.5% | |
| 38 | Italy | 48.4% | |
| 39 | Lebanon | 45.5% | |
| 40 | Egypt | 43.0% | |
| 41 | Algeria | 38.4% | |
| 42 | Yemen | 32.3% |
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.