What it helps answer
Reading the signal
Combines labor demand and participation into a broad view of how much of the adult population is working.
Indicator guide · SL.EMP.TOTL.SP.ZS
Employment-to-population ratio
by country
Employed people as a share of the working-age population. The table keeps each country's reported year visible so stale and current observations are not treated as equivalent.
Before comparing
Important limits
It does not describe hours, pay, security or job quality. A lower ratio can reflect longer education or retirement rather than labor-market failure.
Measurement
% ages 15+
World Bank indicator SL.EMP.TOTL.SP.ZS. Values can be revised as national statistical agencies and international datasets update.
Source definition
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate)
Employment to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed.
Original source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: January 17, 2026
60-market reference table
Latest reported values
Sorted by value, not by a common year. Check the year column before drawing a direct comparison.
| Position | Country | Region | Value | Year | Explore |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Qatar | Middle East | 86.90% | 2025 | Compare |
| 2 | Nigeria | Sub-Saharan Africa | 79.99% | 2025 | Compare |
| 3 | United Arab Emirates | Middle East | 76.89% | 2025 | Compare |
| 4 | Kuwait | Middle East | 71.77% | 2025 | Compare |
| 5 | Vietnam | Southeast Asia | 71.67% | 2025 | Compare |
| 6 | Peru | Latin America | 69.13% | 2025 | Compare |
| 7 | Singapore | Southeast Asia | 67.71% | 2025 | Compare |
| 8 | New Zealand | Oceania | 66.78% | 2025 | Compare |
| 9 | Ethiopia | Sub-Saharan Africa | 66.19% | 2025 | Compare |
| 10 | Thailand | Southeast Asia | 66.16% | 2025 | Compare |
| 11 | Indonesia | Southeast Asia | 65.77% | 2025 | Compare |
| 12 | Netherlands | Europe | 64.64% | 2025 | Compare |
| 13 | Australia | Oceania | 63.82% | 2025 | Compare |
| 14 | Kenya | Sub-Saharan Africa | 63.71% | 2025 | Compare |
| 15 | Malaysia | Southeast Asia | 63.63% | 2025 | Compare |
| 16 | Switzerland | Europe | 63.49% | 2025 | Compare |
| 17 | Israel | Middle East | 63.20% | 2025 | Compare |
| 18 | Saudi Arabia | Middle East | 63.12% | 2025 | Compare |
| 19 | South Korea | East Asia | 62.62% | 2025 | Compare |
| 20 | Norway | Europe | 62.56% | 2025 | Compare |
| 21 | Ecuador | Latin America | 62.36% | 2025 | Compare |
| 22 | Japan | East Asia | 61.89% | 2025 | Compare |
| 23 | Ireland | Europe | 61.84% | 2025 | Compare |
| 24 | China | East Asia | 61.57% | 2025 | Compare |
| 25 | Denmark | Europe | 61.35% | 2025 | Compare |
| 26 | Uruguay | Latin America | 60.11% | 2025 | Compare |
| 27 | Canada | North America | 60.06% | 2025 | Compare |
| 28 | Philippines | Southeast Asia | 59.98% | 2025 | Compare |
| 29 | Mexico | Latin America | 59.96% | 2025 | Compare |
| 30 | Brazil | Latin America | 59.37% | 2025 | Compare |
| 31 | United States | North America | 59.11% | 2025 | Compare |
| 32 | Sweden | Europe | 58.98% | 2025 | Compare |
| 33 | Czechia | Europe | 58.64% | 2025 | Compare |
| 34 | United Kingdom | Europe | 58.46% | 2025 | Compare |
| 35 | Germany | Europe | 58.32% | 2025 | Compare |
| 36 | Colombia | Latin America | 58.14% | 2025 | Compare |
| 37 | Hungary | Europe | 57.84% | 2025 | Compare |
| 38 | Argentina | Latin America | 57.49% | 2025 | Compare |
| 39 | Ghana | Sub-Saharan Africa | 56.78% | 2025 | Compare |
| 40 | Austria | Europe | 56.77% | 2025 | Compare |
| 41 | Chile | Latin America | 56.71% | 2025 | Compare |
| 42 | Poland | Europe | 56.58% | 2025 | Compare |
| 43 | Bangladesh | South Asia | 56.57% | 2025 | Compare |
| 44 | Portugal | Europe | 54.58% | 2025 | Compare |
| 45 | Finland | Europe | 54.04% | 2025 | Compare |
| 46 | Costa Rica | Latin America | 53.71% | 2025 | Compare |
| 47 | India | South Asia | 53.31% | 2025 | Compare |
| 48 | Spain | Europe | 51.45% | 2025 | Compare |
| 49 | France | Europe | 51.17% | 2025 | Compare |
| 50 | Belgium | Europe | 51.07% | 2025 | Compare |
| 51 | Turkiye | Europe & Central Asia | 49.75% | 2025 | Compare |
| 52 | Pakistan | South Asia | 49.50% | 2025 | Compare |
| 53 | Ukraine | Europe | 49.27% | 2021 | Compare |
| 54 | Romania | Europe | 48.26% | 2025 | Compare |
| 55 | Greece | Europe | 47.52% | 2025 | Compare |
| 56 | Italy | Europe | 46.15% | 2025 | Compare |
| 57 | Egypt | Middle East & North Africa | 41.55% | 2025 | Compare |
| 58 | Morocco | Middle East & North Africa | 39.99% | 2025 | Compare |
| 59 | South Africa | Sub-Saharan Africa | 37.58% | 2025 | Compare |
| 60 | Algeria | Middle East & North Africa | 36.04% | 2025 | Compare |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Retrieved 2026-08-26. Open the source indicator · Download 15-year CSV.
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