Thursday, October 22 Dhaka
  1. Home
  2. Statistics
  3. Bangladesh
  4. Economy & jobs
  5. Labour force participation
Economy & jobs Statistics · Country

Labour force participation in Bangladesh

1990 – 2025 · 36 data points 25 of 41 · Countries Updated Oct 22, 2026

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1990 – 2025

Labour force participation, 1990 – 2025 percent · Bangladesh · World
+2.3 pp since 2015
Bangladesh World

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1990 – 2025

Compared with Labour force participation · percent
Bangladesh
58.8%
World
61.0%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators

The series at a glance Bangladesh · 1990 – 2025
Latest value 58.8% · 2025
First value 56.8% · 1990
Highest 61.9% · 2022
Lowest 56.1% · 2016
Data points 36

By year

All years · 1990 – 2025

YearBangladeshChange World
2025 58.8% −0.1 pp 61.0%
2024 58.9% −2.0 pp 61.1%
2023 60.9% −1.0 pp 61.2%
2022 61.9% +0.8 pp 60.7%
2021 61.1% +1.3 pp 60.4%
2020 59.8% +0.3 pp 59.6%
2019 59.5% +0.6 pp 61.0%
2018 58.9% +0.6 pp 61.2%
2017 58.3% +2.2 pp 61.3%
2016 56.1% −0.4 pp 61.5%
2015 56.5% −0.4 pp 61.6%
2014 56.8% −0.4 pp 61.8%
2013 57.2% −0.5 pp 62.0%
2012 57.6% −0.5 pp 62.2%
2011 58.1% −0.5 pp 62.4%
2010 58.6% +0.1 pp 62.6%
2009 58.4% +0.1 pp 62.8%
2008 58.3% +0.1 pp 63.1%
2007 58.2% +0.1 pp 63.4%
2006 58.1% −0.0 pp 63.5%
2005 58.1% −0.0 pp 63.8%
2004 58.2% −0.0 pp 63.8%
2003 58.2% −0.0 pp 63.9%
2002 58.2% +0.0 pp 64.1%
2001 58.2% +0.0 pp 64.2%
2000 58.2% +0.1 pp 64.4%
1999 58.1% +0.1 pp 64.6%
1998 58.0% +0.1 pp 64.5%
1997 57.8% +0.1 pp 64.7%
1996 57.7% +0.2 pp 64.7%
1995 57.5% +0.2 pp 64.8%
1994 57.4% +0.2 pp 65.0%
1993 57.2% +0.1 pp 65.0%
1992 57.1% +0.2 pp 65.3%
1991 56.9% +0.1 pp 65.4%
1990 56.8% 65.5%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1990 – 2025

Ranking · Countries

2016 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryLabour force participation
41 Algeria 42.3%
25 Argentina 59.0%
29 Bangladesh 56.1%
11 Brazil 64.3%
32 Bulgaria 53.3%
9 Canada 65.6%
17 Chile 62.3%
2 China 68.9%
5 Colombia 66.4%
3 Congo - Brazzaville 68.1%
10 Congo - Kinshasa 65.0%
24 Czechia 59.8%
4 Ecuador 67.7%
40 Egypt 46.6%
26 Finland 58.5%
31 France 55.4%
37 Gabon 50.8%
21 Germany 60.4%
35 Greece 51.1%
12 Honduras 63.3%
22 Hong Kong SAR China 60.4%
33 India 52.9%
6 Indonesia 66.3%
38 Italy 49.2%
39 Lebanon 47.5%
1 Liberia 76.9%
23 Lithuania 60.3%
20 Mexico 60.4%
7 Netherlands 66.3%
8 Norway 66.2%
18 Philippines 61.6%
28 Poland 57.3%
36 Romania 50.9%
13 Russia 62.9%
19 Saudi Arabia 60.7%
30 Sierra Leone 55.4%
14 South Korea 62.6%
27 Spain 58.3%
34 Türkiye 52.0%
16 United Kingdom 62.4%
15 United States 62.4%
42 Yemen 32.3%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 2016

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.