Nations ranked by labour-force participation for people ages 15+; percent, 2025.
Fifteen nations are ranked by the lowest labour-force participation for people ages 15+ in 2025. The rate is the share of people ages 15+ who are in the labour force. São Tomé and Príncipe records the lowest rate at 23.3%, followed by Djibouti at 31.7%. Samoa is fifteenth at 42.5%.
| Rank | Entry | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 23.3% | 2025 |
| 2 | Djibouti | 31.7% | 2025 |
| 3 | Yemen | 33.1% | 2025 |
| 4 | Somalia | 33.8% | 2025 |
| 5 | Syria | 36.9% | 2025 |
| 6 | Afghanistan | 37.5% | 2025 |
| 7 | Tajikistan | 38.3% | 2025 |
| 8 | Nepal | 39.2% | 2025 |
| 9 | Jordan | 40.1% | 2025 |
| 10 | Mauritania | 40.8% | 2025 |
| 11 | Algeria | 40.8% | 2025 |
| 12 | Iran | 41% | 2025 |
| 13 | Iraq | 41.5% | 2025 |
| 14 | Turkmenistan | 42% | 2025 |
| 15 | Samoa | 42.5% | 2025 |
Source 1: Labour force participation rate by sex and age — ILO modelled estimates
Publisher: International Labour Organization
Dataset/table: Labour force participation rate by sex and age — ILO modelled estimates
Units: percent of working-age population
Date checked: 2026-07-15
Evidence: Supports the labour force participation rate values for the fifteen selected nations.
The rate is the percentage of people ages 15+ who are in the labour force. ILO modelled estimates are harmonised for international comparison and may be revised as new national evidence becomes available; forecasts for 2026 and 2027 are excluded.
The ranking uses 2025 ILOSTAT modelled estimates of the labour-force participation rate for people ages 15+. Eligible sovereign nations are ordered from lowest to highest, and aggregate reporting groups are excluded.
Every row uses the same ILOSTAT indicator, demographic definition, 2025 period, percentage unit and modelling framework.
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