Bangladesh: Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) (national estimate)

Key figures

Since 1984 it is down 20.02 percentage points from 97% in 1984. The World Bank has no value for 24 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

How it compares

In 2024, Bangladesh had the 3rd highest value of the 20 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Bangladesh in the 2024 ranking

• Qatar — 1st of 20: 95.47%
• Mali — 2nd of 20: 78.27%
• Viet Nam — 4th of 20: 75.78%
• Philippines — 5th of 20: 69.44%
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 6th of 20: 68.1%

What this measures

Employment to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed.

Limitations: Data on employment by status are drawn from labor force surveys and household surveys, supplemented by official estimates and censuses for a small group of countries. The labor force survey is the most comprehensive source for internationally comparable employment, but there are still some limitations for comparing data across countries and over time even within a country. Comparability of employment ratios across countries is affected by variations in definitions of employment and population. The biggest difference results from the age range used to define labor force activity. The population base for employment ratios can also vary.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 17 values

Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) (national estimate) in nearby economies

• Bhutan — 71.34% (2025)
• India — 73.58% (2025)
• Sri Lanka — 65.39% (2024)

More social protection & labor data for Bangladesh

• Net migration — -402,100 (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum — 1.18 million (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin — 31,862 (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 46.54% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 50.28% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 48.38% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 41.48% (2025)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Bangladesh's employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) (national estimate)?

76.98% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1984?

It is down 20.02 percentage points from 97% in 1984. The highest value was 98.38% in 1991 and the lowest 76.98% in 2024.

How does Bangladesh rank?

3rd highest of 20 economies with data for 2024.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: September 28, 2026.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SL.EMP.TOTL.SP.MA.NE.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: September 28, 2026 Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.