Samoa — Labor participation
Labor Force Participation Rate for Samoa, 1990–2025.
Labor participation for Samoa was 42.53% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 36 years, from 1990 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 56.52% in 1994. Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.79% per year.
Samoa ranks 172 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 92%. The median for East Asia & Pacific is 64.35%, so Samoa sits below it. It peaked in 1994 and has fallen 25% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 22%. Within East Asia & Pacific it ranks 29 of 29 economies; Tonga (49.81%) is just above it. Its sharpest one-year move was down 5% in 2020. That is 12% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 134th of 187 in 1990 → 132nd of 187 in 2000 → 138th of 187 in 2010 → 164th of 187 in 2020 → 168th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1990 to 2025
| Year | % of population ages 15+ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 42.53% | -0.6 pp |
| 2024 | 43.08% | -0.4 pp |
| 2023 | 43.44% | -0.3 pp |
| 2022 | 43.73% | -1.9 pp |
| 2021 | 45.59% | -2.0 pp |
| 2020 | 47.57% | -2.6 pp |
| 2019 | 50.15% | -2.2 pp |
| 2018 | 52.35% | -2.1 pp |
| 2017 | 54.43% | -0.1 pp |
| 2016 | 54.5% | -0.2 pp |
| 2015 | 54.71% | -0.1 pp |
| 2014 | 54.84% | -0.0 pp |
| 2013 | 54.87% | -0.0 pp |
| 2012 | 54.87% | +0.1 pp |
| 2011 | 54.77% | -0.1 pp |
| 2010 | 54.92% | -0.2 pp |
| 2009 | 55.13% | -0.0 pp |
| 2008 | 55.14% | -0.1 pp |
| 2007 | 55.29% | -0.1 pp |
| 2006 | 55.35% | -0.1 pp |
| 2005 | 55.42% | -0.2 pp |
| 2004 | 55.62% | -0.1 pp |
| 2003 | 55.7% | -0.2 pp |
| 2002 | 55.86% | -0.2 pp |
| 2001 | 56.05% | -0.3 pp |
| 2000 | 56.3% | -0.1 pp |
| 1999 | 56.43% | +0.0 pp |
| 1998 | 56.4% | +0.1 pp |
| 1997 | 56.34% | +0.2 pp |
| 1996 | 56.18% | -0.2 pp |
| 1995 | 56.33% | -0.2 pp |
| 1994 | 56.52% | +0.3 pp |
| 1993 | 56.26% | -0.1 pp |
| 1992 | 56.37% | +0.0 pp |
| 1991 | 56.32% | +0.1 pp |
| 1990 | 56.2% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Samoa’s Labor participation in 1991?
56.32% (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 Samoa’s Labor participation growing or shrinking?
Between 1990 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -24.3% in total — about 0.8% 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: 42.53%; 2024: 43.08%; 2023: 43.44%; 2022: 43.73%; 2021: 45.59%. 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.