Singapore — Labor participation
Labor Force Participation Rate for Singapore, 1990–2025.
Labor participation for Singapore was 69.67% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 36 years, from 1990 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 70.69% in 2021. The lowest was 61.03% in 1990 (about 1.1× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.38% per year.
Singapore ranks 30 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 16%. The median for East Asia & Pacific is 64.35%, so Singapore sits above it. It peaked in 2021 and has fallen 1% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 0%. Within East Asia & Pacific it ranks 6 of 29 economies; Indonesia (67.97%) is just below it.
Data highlights
Doubling roughly every 183 years at that pace.
World ranking. Climbed: 94th of 187 in 1990 → 64th of 187 in 2000 → 45th of 187 in 2010 → 31st of 187 in 2020 → 29th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1990 to 2025
| Year | % of population ages 15+ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 69.67% | +0.5 pp |
| 2024 | 69.2% | -0.2 pp |
| 2023 | 69.39% | -0.3 pp |
| 2022 | 69.73% | -1.0 pp |
| 2021 | 70.69% | +2.0 pp |
| 2020 | 68.71% | -0.3 pp |
| 2019 | 68.99% | +0.4 pp |
| 2018 | 68.58% | -0.4 pp |
| 2017 | 68.94% | -0.3 pp |
| 2016 | 69.24% | -0.3 pp |
| 2015 | 69.53% | +1.0 pp |
| 2014 | 68.56% | +0.8 pp |
| 2013 | 67.77% | -0.2 pp |
| 2012 | 67.94% | +0.6 pp |
| 2011 | 67.38% | +0.0 pp |
| 2010 | 67.37% | +0.8 pp |
| 2009 | 66.57% | -0.0 pp |
| 2008 | 66.61% | +1.1 pp |
| 2007 | 65.5% | -0.6 pp |
| 2006 | 66.08% | +0.9 pp |
| 2005 | 65.2% | +0.6 pp |
| 2004 | 64.57% | -0.1 pp |
| 2003 | 64.7% | +0.1 pp |
| 2002 | 64.62% | -0.8 pp |
| 2001 | 65.46% | +0.1 pp |
| 2000 | 65.36% | +0.1 pp |
| 1999 | 65.27% | +0.1 pp |
| 1998 | 65.18% | +0.4 pp |
| 1997 | 64.74% | +0.5 pp |
| 1996 | 64.23% | +0.5 pp |
| 1995 | 63.68% | +0.7 pp |
| 1994 | 62.95% | +0.5 pp |
| 1993 | 62.45% | +0.3 pp |
| 1992 | 62.14% | +0.5 pp |
| 1991 | 61.66% | +0.6 pp |
| 1990 | 61.03% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Singapore’s Labor participation in 1991?
61.66% (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 Singapore’s Labor participation growing or shrinking?
Between 1990 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +14.2% in total — about 0.4% 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: 69.67%; 2024: 69.2%; 2023: 69.39%; 2022: 69.73%; 2021: 70.69%. 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.