Australia — Labor participation
Labor Force Participation Rate for Australia, 1990–2025.
Labor participation for Australia was 66.54% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 36 years, from 1990 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 67.02% in 2023. The lowest was 62.60% in 1993 (about 1.1× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.12% per year.
Australia ranks 50 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 27%. The median for East Asia & Pacific is 64.35%, so Australia sits above it. It peaked in 2023 and has fallen 1% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 2%. Within East Asia & Pacific it ranks 11 of 29 economies; Malaysia (66.12%) is just below it.
Data highlights
World ranking. Climbed: 75th of 187 in 1990 → 77th of 187 in 2000 → 60th of 187 in 2010 → 53rd of 187 in 2020 → 49th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1990 to 2025
| Year | % of population ages 15+ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 66.54% | -0.2 pp |
| 2024 | 66.72% | -0.3 pp |
| 2023 | 67.02% | +0.1 pp |
| 2022 | 66.89% | +0.7 pp |
| 2021 | 66.15% | +1.1 pp |
| 2020 | 65.03% | -1.1 pp |
| 2019 | 66.09% | +0.3 pp |
| 2018 | 65.8% | +0.6 pp |
| 2017 | 65.25% | +0.3 pp |
| 2016 | 64.95% | -0.1 pp |
| 2015 | 65.08% | +0.3 pp |
| 2014 | 64.79% | -0.2 pp |
| 2013 | 65.03% | -0.2 pp |
| 2012 | 65.25% | -0.3 pp |
| 2011 | 65.51% | +0.0 pp |
| 2010 | 65.48% | -0.0 pp |
| 2009 | 65.5% | -0.1 pp |
| 2008 | 65.56% | +0.3 pp |
| 2007 | 65.28% | +0.4 pp |
| 2006 | 64.85% | +0.3 pp |
| 2005 | 64.51% | +0.9 pp |
| 2004 | 63.58% | -0.1 pp |
| 2003 | 63.72% | +0.2 pp |
| 2002 | 63.51% | +0.1 pp |
| 2001 | 63.44% | +0.2 pp |
| 2000 | 63.28% | +0.4 pp |
| 1999 | 62.91% | -0.2 pp |
| 1998 | 63.13% | -0.1 pp |
| 1997 | 63.26% | -0.4 pp |
| 1996 | 63.65% | -0.0 pp |
| 1995 | 63.68% | +0.6 pp |
| 1994 | 63.08% | +0.5 pp |
| 1993 | 62.6% | -0.4 pp |
| 1992 | 63% | -0.3 pp |
| 1991 | 63.29% | -0.6 pp |
| 1990 | 63.89% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Australia’s Labor participation in 1991?
63.29% (1991). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of population ages 15+, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Australia’s Labor participation growing or shrinking?
Between 1990 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +4.1% in total — about 0.1% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SL.TLF.CACT.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 66.54%; 2024: 66.72%; 2023: 67.02%; 2022: 66.89%; 2021: 66.15%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SL.TLF.CACT.ZS — Labor Force Participation Rate. Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.