South Asia (IDA & IBRD): Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate)

Key figures

Over five years it is up 6.26 percentage points from 46.52% in 2020. Since 1994 it is down 3.9 percentage points from 56.68% in 1994. The World Bank has no value for 19 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

From 2018 to 2025 the straight-line trend is upward, about 1.47 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 90% of the movement over 8 observed years.

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

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

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 13 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 South Asia (IDA & IBRD)

• Net migration — -1.3 million (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum — 1.44 million (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin — 238,179 (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 19.57% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 45.37% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 32.97% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is South Asia (IDA & IBRD)'s employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate)?

52.78% in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1994?

It is down 3.9 percentage points from 56.68% in 1994. The highest value was 57.69% in 2005 and the lowest 44.02% in 2018.

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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