Labor Force Participation - Ranking 2019
In 2019, Qatar (87.43%), Madagascar (85.37%), and Solomon Islands (84.31%) ranked highest in labor force participation among all countries. São Tomé and Principe ranked lowest at 23.69%.
Data & analysis
- Qatar — 87.01
- Madagascar — 85.50
- Solomon Islands — 84.30
- Tanzania — 83.72
- Nigeria — 82.52
The 2025 World Bank data on labor force participation reveals a sharp global divide, with rates ranging from 87% in Qatar to 23% in São Tomé and Principe. The top of the ranking is bound by a mix of resource-driven employment and high informal sector engagement. Qatar’s 87.013% rate reflects its reliance on a vast expatriate workforce, while Madagascar’s 85.495% and Tanzania’s 83.716% indicate economies where subsistence agriculture and informal labor absorb nearly all working-age adults. At the bottom, structural barriers such as limited formal job creation and high youth dependency suppress participation, as seen in Djibouti’s 31.744% and Yemen’s 33.103%. These figures underscore that extreme economic fragility, rather than voluntary non-participation, drives the lowest rates. As automation and demographic shifts accelerate, the leaderboard could be reshuffled by how effectively nations transition from informal to formal labor markets, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Gulf states.
| Rank | Country | Value | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|