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

Key figures

Over five years it is up 5.43 percentage points from 68.15% in 2020. Since 1994 it is down 8.42 percentage points from 82% 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 0.95 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 84% 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.

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 13 values

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

• Algeria — 60% (2017)
• Bahrain — 86.8% (2015)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 68.1% (2024)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 63.19% (2024)
• Israel — 63.49% (2025)
• Jordan — 52.55% (2024)
• Kuwait — 87.02% (2016)
• Malta — 72.24% (2025)
• Morocco

More social protection & labor data for South Asia

• 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) — 35.5% (2025)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

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

73.58% in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1994?

It is down 8.42 percentage points from 82% in 1994. The highest value was 82% in 1994 and the lowest 68.15% in 2020.

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.

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