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

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Singapore's employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate) fell 0.3 percentage points on 2024 (from 65.96% to 65.66%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2024), the average change was +0.27 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 2.54 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 11.59 percentage points in 1999 and the biggest yearly fall was 3.45 percentage points in 1995. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 24% of the movement over 10 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 2025, Singapore had the 16th highest value of the 83 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 Singapore in the 2025 ranking

• Thailand — 13th of 83: 66.64%
• Angola — 14th of 83: 66.62%
• Netherlands — 15th of 83: 66.01%
• Malta — 17th of 83: 65.43%
• Saudi Arabia — 18th of 83: 65.23%
• Zimbabwe — 19th of 83: 65.14%

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 48 values

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

• Australia — 64.15% (2025)
• Brunei Darussalam — 60.2% (2025)
• Cambodia — 77% (2025)
• China — 67.35% (2019)
• Fiji — 51.89% (2024)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 54.91% (2025)
• Indonesia — 65.04% (2023)
• Japan — 62.23% (2025)
• Korea, Rep.

More social protection & labor data for Singapore

• Net migration — 16,892 (2025)
• Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate) — 3.26% (2025)
• Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate) — 3.29% (2025)
• Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) — 3.22% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+) (national estimate) — 62.51% (2025)
• Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) (national estimate) — 84.91% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) (national estimate) — 73.63% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) (national estimate)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

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

65.66% in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1975?

It is up 10.59 percentage points from 55.07% in 1975. The highest value was 67.46% in 2022 and the lowest 48.68% in 1991.

How does Singapore rank?

16th highest of 83 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate) unusual for Singapore?

In 2025, Singapore's employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate) fell 0.3 percentage points on 2024 (from 65.96% to 65.66%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2024), the average change was +0.27 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 2.54 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

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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