Countries With the Fastest Decline in Labour force participation rate (5-Year Change)
Change in Labour force participation rate over the five years to each country's latest year, in points (a share or rate is not shown as a % of itself). Only countries that fell are listed. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Malawi fell the most: by 5.69 pts, from 68.3% of population 15+ to 62.6% of population 15+ in the five years to 2025. Burkina Faso is second (−5.18 pts), followed by Myanmar (−5.06 pts). 53 countries fell over that period; the median change among them was −1.18 pts.
- #1
- Malawi · −5.69 pts
- Median
- −1.18 pts
- Coverage
- 53 countries
- Data year
- 2025
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | From | To | 5-year change (points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malawi | 68.3 | 62.6 | −5.69 pts |
| 2 | Burkina Faso | 75.2 | 70 | −5.18 pts |
| 3 | Myanmar | 60.2 | 55.1 | −5.06 pts |
| 4 | Samoa | 47.6 | 42.5 | −5.04 pts |
| 5 | Lebanon | 48.4 | 43.4 | −5.01 pts |
| 6 | Sudan | 42.4 | 37.5 | −4.89 pts |
| 7 | Afghanistan | 41.6 | 37.5 | −4.12 pts |
| 8 | Azerbaijan | 67.2 | 63.3 | −3.94 pts |
| 9 | Mongolia | 63.4 | 59.7 | −3.74 pts |
| 10 | Ghana | 61.6 | 58.5 | −3.09 pts |
| 11 | Bhutan | 67.8 | 64.8 | −3.01 pts |
| 12 | Costa Rica | 60.6 | 57.7 | −2.97 pts |
| 13 | Honduras | 59.5 | 56.6 | −2.94 pts |
| 14 | Hong Kong SAR, China | 59 | 56.4 | −2.62 pts |
| 15 | Tonga | 52.4 | 49.8 | −2.58 pts |
| 16 | French Polynesia | 54.5 | 52.4 | −2.09 pts |
| 17 | Sri Lanka | 50.5 | 48.5 | −1.98 pts |
| 18 | Armenia | 61.3 | 59.4 | −1.87 pts |
| 19 | Ukraine | 56.3 | 54.6 | −1.66 pts |
| 20 | Viet Nam | 74.4 | 72.8 | −1.59 pts |
| 21 | Kazakhstan | 69.2 | 67.8 | −1.43 pts |
| 22 | Belarus | 64 | 62.7 | −1.28 pts |
| 23 | Haiti | 65.2 | 63.9 | −1.27 pts |
| 24 | New Caledonia | 57.7 | 56.4 | −1.26 pts |
| 25 | Switzerland | 68 | 66.7 | −1.24 pts |
| 26 | United Kingdom | 62.6 | 61.4 | −1.2 pts |
| 27 | Channel Islands | 57.5 | 56.4 | −1.18 pts |
| 28 | China | 65.7 | 64.6 | −1.17 pts |
| 29 | Latvia | 61.6 | 60.5 | −1.05 pts |
| 30 | Bangladesh | 59.8 | 58.8 | −0.974 pts |
| 31 | Ethiopia | 69.4 | 68.5 | −0.93 pts |
| 32 | Trinidad and Tobago | 58.6 | 57.8 | −0.887 pts |
| 33 | South Sudan | 74.2 | 73.4 | −0.83 pts |
| 34 | Macao SAR, China | 68.7 | 67.8 | −0.824 pts |
| 35 | Cameroon | 65.9 | 65.2 | −0.745 pts |
| 36 | Romania | 52 | 51.3 | −0.667 pts |
| 37 | Morocco | 44.5 | 43.9 | −0.598 pts |
| 38 | Iran, Islamic Rep. | 41.4 | 41 | −0.394 pts |
| 39 | Thailand | 67 | 66.7 | −0.343 pts |
| 40 | Cuba | 52.6 | 52.2 | −0.304 pts |
| 41 | Burundi | 78.5 | 78.3 | −0.291 pts |
| 42 | Tunisia | 45.5 | 45.2 | −0.287 pts |
| 43 | Russian Federation | 61.4 | 61.1 | −0.276 pts |
| 44 | Slovenia | 57.8 | 57.6 | −0.246 pts |
| 45 | Austria | 60.4 | 60.1 | −0.239 pts |
| 46 | Gambia, The | 47.7 | 47.5 | −0.218 pts |
| 47 | United Arab Emirates | 78.8 | 78.6 | −0.187 pts |
| 48 | North Macedonia | 52.1 | 51.9 | −0.172 pts |
| 49 | Nepal | 39.4 | 39.2 | −0.143 pts |
| 50 | Panama | 66.4 | 66.3 | −0.096 pts |
| 51 | Qatar | 87.1 | 87 | −0.092 pts |
| 52 | Norway | 65.7 | 65.6 | −0.072 pts |
| 53 | Colombia | 63.4 | 63.4 | −0.017 pts |
About the top 10
#1 Malawi
Malawi ranks #1 on this list with −5.69 pts.
- Capital
- Lilongwe
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 22.22 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$14.92 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$671.5 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 17.6% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in school enrolment (primary) · #3 in pupil-teacher ratio (primary) · #3 in poverty headcount ratio.
#2 Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso ranks #2 on this list with −5.18 pts.
- Capital
- Ouagadougou
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 24.08 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$27.63 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,148 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 61.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 28.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Ouagadougou.
Also ranks #7 in mineral rents share of gdp · #9 in children out of school (primary) · #11 in under-5 mortality rate.
#3 Myanmar
Myanmar ranks #3 on this list with −5.06 pts.
- Capital
- Naypyidaw
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 54.85 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$81.67 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,489 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 30.6% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Yangon, Mandalay, Naypyidaw.
Also ranks #3 in smoking prevalence · #6 in refugee population by origin · #8 in manufacturing value added share of gdp.
#4 Samoa
Samoa ranks #4 on this list with −5.04 pts.
- Capital
- Apia
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 219,310 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.29 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$5,873 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 71.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 17.5% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in rural population share · #4 in diabetes prevalence · #16 in age dependency ratio.
#5 Lebanon
Lebanon ranks #5 on this list with −5.01 pts.
- Capital
- Beirut
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 5.85 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$25.97 billion (2024)
- GDP per person
- US$4,473 (2024)
- Life expectancy
- 77.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 91% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Beirut.
Also ranks #1 in official exchange rate · #2 in smoking prevalence · #7 in refugee population by asylum.
#6 Sudan
Sudan ranks #6 on this list with −4.89 pts.
- Capital
- Khartoum
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 51.66 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$60.16 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,165 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 66.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 34.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Khartoum, Omdurman.
Also ranks #2 in inflation rate · #4 in children out of school (primary) · #5 in refugee population by origin.
#7 Afghanistan
Afghanistan ranks #7 on this list with −4.12 pts.
- Capital
- Kabul
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 43.84 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$17.78 billion (2024)
- GDP per person
- US$416.9 (2024)
- Life expectancy
- 66.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 25.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Kabul.
Also ranks #1 in refugee population by origin · #4 in health expenditure share of gdp · #6 in agriculture value added share of gdp.
#8 Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan ranks #8 on this list with −3.94 pts.
- Capital
- Baku
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 10.25 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$75.94 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$7,411 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 74.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 58.6% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Baku.
Also ranks #9 in literacy rate · #9 in electricity access rate · #9 in access to electricity (rural).
#9 Mongolia
Mongolia ranks #9 on this list with −3.74 pts.
- Capital
- Ulaanbaatar
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 3.57 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$25.37 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$7,108 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 72.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 71.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Ulaanbaatar.
Also ranks #3 in mineral rents share of gdp · #4 in bank branches per 100,000 adults · #5 in hospital beds per 10,000.
#10 Ghana
Ghana ranks #10 on this list with −3.09 pts.
- Capital
- Accra
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 35.06 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$114.21 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$3,257 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 65.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 58.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Kumasi, Accra.
Also ranks #11 in deposit interest rate · #14 in inflation rate · #21 in forest rents share of gdp.
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Change in Labour force participation rate over the five years to each country's latest year, in points (a share or rate is not shown as a % of itself). Only countries that fell are listed.
Source: The World Bank, indicator SL.TLF.CACT.ZS. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.
The World Bank: Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) (modeled ILO estimate): ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO) (via World Development Indicators)
Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Values are shown as published (changes are computed from the published values). Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.