Euro area
Euro area desk: EMU aggregate first; Germany, France, Italy, Ireland, United Kingdom and United States alongside.
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As of 2025 | % of population ages 15+
| Year | Participation |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 56.97% |
| 2024 | 57.29% |
| 2023 | 57.41% |
| 2022 | 57.14% |
| 2021 | 56.60% |
| 2020 | 56.14% |
| 2019 | 57.00% |
| 2018 | 56.90% |
| 2017 | 56.83% |
| 2016 | 56.69% |
| 2015 | 56.65% |
| 2014 | 56.72% |
| 2013 | 56.82% |
| 2012 | 56.84% |
| 2011 | 56.58% |
| 2010 | 56.64% |
| 2009 | 56.71% |
| 2008 | 56.83% |
| 2007 | 56.60% |
| 2006 | 56.46% |
| 2005 | 56.13% |
| 2004 | 55.80% |
| 2003 | 55.66% |
| 2002 | 55.32% |
The labour-force participation rate (SL.TLF.CACT.ZS, modelled ILO estimate) is people who are employed or unemployed as a share of the population aged 15 and over. Latest: 56.97% in 2025.
It measures who is in the market for work, not what they earn. From 1990 to 2025 (36 years): latest 56.97% (2025), previous year 57.29% (2024); low 54.48% (1995), high 57.41% (2023).
Source: World Bank Open Data. Licence: CC BY 4.0 (terms).
This series is the labour-force participation rate for people aged 15 and over: the share who are either employed or unemployed and looking for work. It comes from World Bank Open Data indicator SL.TLF.CACT.ZS, a modelled ILO estimate. It measures who is in the labour market, not what they earn, and it is not the same as the employment ratio: unemployed people count in the numerator here but not there.
Participation reflects retirement ages, education, caring responsibilities and social norms as well as job availability, so levels differ for reasons that have little to do with pay. The series is modelled from national surveys and censuses and is revised periodically. Use the chart and range buttons to follow one economy and the ranked table to compare latest published years. Treat small cross-country gaps with caution; the estimate carries uncertainty where survey coverage is thin. A fall can mean people left the labour force rather than lost work, so pair it with the employment ratio before drawing a conclusion.
Euro area appears first, with comparison economies where the producer publishes them. This desk filters the same official series as the all-countries view; it does not recalculate values.
Output per worker and employment-share indicators come from World Bank Open Data. The employment shares are ILO-modelled estimates published by the Bank. Each page gives its indicator and source link.
Chart and Table show the same observations. Range buttons change only the displayed years; use Country to switch desks. Each page names its source and licence.