Qatar: Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate)

Key figures

What the numbers say

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 5.02 percentage points in 2007 and the biggest yearly fall was 4.9 percentage points in 2017. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 27% of the movement over 9 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Qatar had the 1st highest value of the 22 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 Qatar in the 2024 ranking

• Nigeria — 2nd of 22: 78.72%
• Viet Nam — 3rd of 22: 71.34%
• Zambia — 4th of 22: 59.66%

What this measures

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

Limitations: Comparability of employment-to-population ratios across countries is affected most significantly by variations in the definitions used for the employment and population figures. Differences result from age coverage, such as the lower and upper bounds for labor force activity. Estimates of both employment and population are also likely to vary according to whether members of the armed forces are included. Another area with scope for measurement differences has to do with the national treatment of particular groups of workers. The international definition of employment calls for inclusion of all persons who worked for at least one hour during the reference period.

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

All 20 values

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

• Algeria — 36.9% (2017)
• Bahrain — 70.93% (2015)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 45.1% (2024)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 37.6% (2024)
• Israel — 60.58% (2025)
• Jordan — 33.96% (2024)
• Kuwait — 72.24% (2016)
• Malta — 65.43% (2025)
• Morocco

More social protection & labor data for Qatar

• Net migration — 36,288 (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 40.79% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 70.96% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 59.7% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 63.62% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 96.29% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 88.1% (2025)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

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

87.86% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1997?

It is up 14.78 percentage points from 73.08% in 1997. The highest value was 92.97% in 2016 and the lowest 73.08% in 1997.

How does Qatar rank?

1st highest of 22 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.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.

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