Low income Countries Ranked by Labour force participation rate (2025)
Labour force participation rate: each country's latest value (2020–2025), ranked from highest to lowest. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Madagascar ranks #1 with 85.5% of population 15+. Korea, Dem. People's Rep. is second with 82.2% of population 15+, 4.1% behind. The top five are Madagascar, Korea, Dem. People's Rep., Uganda, Niger and Mozambique. The median across all 25 is 67% of population 15+; Yemen, Rep. is last at 33.1% of population 15+. Madagascar's figure has fallen 1% since 2001 (86.4% of population 15+ to 85.5% of population 15+ in 2025).
- #1
- Madagascar · 85.5% of population 15+
- Median
- 67% of population 15+
- Coverage
- 25 Low income countries
- Data year
- 2025
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | Labour force participation rate (% of population 15+) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Madagascar | 85.5 | 2025 |
| 2 | Korea, Dem. People's Rep. | 82.2 | 2025 |
| 3 | Uganda | 80 | 2025 |
| 4 | Niger | 79.7 | 2025 |
| 5 | Mozambique | 78.7 | 2025 |
| 6 | Eritrea | 78.3 | 2025 |
| 7 | Burundi | 78.3 | 2025 |
| 8 | Liberia | 76.6 | 2025 |
| 9 | South Sudan | 73.4 | 2023 |
| 10 | Central African Republic | 73.4 | 2025 |
| 11 | Burkina Faso | 70 | 2025 |
| 12 | Ethiopia | 68.5 | 2025 |
| 13 | Mali | 67 | 2025 |
| 14 | Guinea-Bissau | 64.8 | 2025 |
| 15 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 64.3 | 2025 |
| 16 | Rwanda | 63.7 | 2025 |
| 17 | Malawi | 62.6 | 2025 |
| 18 | Chad | 59.4 | 2025 |
| 19 | Sierra Leone | 53.4 | 2025 |
| 20 | Gambia, The | 47.5 | 2025 |
| 21 | Sudan | 37.5 | 2022 |
| 22 | Afghanistan | 37.5 | 2025 |
| 23 | Syrian Arab Republic | 36.9 | 2025 |
| 24 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 33.8 | 2025 |
| 25 | Yemen, Rep. | 33.1 | 2025 |
About the top 10
#1 Madagascar
Madagascar ranks #1 on this list with 85.5% of population 15+.
- Capital
- Antananarivo
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 32.74 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$19.62 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$599.3 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 63.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 32.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Antananarivo.
Also ranks #1 in female labour force participation · #1 in lending interest rate · #2 in labour force participation rate.
#2 Korea, Dem. People's Rep.
Korea, Dem. People's Rep. ranks #2 on this list with 82.2% of population 15+.
- Capital
- Pyongyang
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 26.57 million people (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 73.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 64.2% of population (2025)
- CO2 emissions per person
- 2.5 t CO2e per person (2024)
- Currency
- North Korean won
Largest cities: Pyongyang.
Also ranks #2 in hospital beds per 10,000 · #3 in armed forces personnel · #6 in female labour force participation.
#3 Uganda
Uganda ranks #3 on this list with 80% of population 15+.
- Capital
- Kampala
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 51.39 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$61.99 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,206 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 68.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 31.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Kampala.
Also ranks #6 in renewable energy share · #6 in refugee population by asylum · #7 in agricultural land share.
#4 Niger
Niger ranks #4 on this list with 79.7% of population 15+.
- Capital
- Niamey
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 27.92 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$21.65 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$775.4 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 61.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 18.4% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Niamey.
Also ranks #1 in agriculture value added share of gdp · #2 in under-5 mortality rate · #3 in population ages 0-14 share.
#5 Mozambique
Mozambique ranks #5 on this list with 78.7% of population 15+.
- Capital
- Maputo
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 35.63 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$22.34 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$626.9 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 63.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 37.2% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Maputo, Matola.
Also ranks #2 in poverty headcount ratio · #3 in income share of richest 10% · #4 in debt service share of exports.
#6 Eritrea
Eritrea ranks #6 on this list with 78.3% of population 15+.
- Capital
- Asmara
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 3.61 million people (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 68.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 34.5% of population (2025)
- International tourist arrivals
- 142,000 arrivals (2016)
- CO2 emissions per person
- 0.22 t CO2e per person (2024)
Also ranks #5 in time to start a business (days) · #9 in refugee population by origin · #12 in female labour force participation.
#7 Burundi
Burundi ranks #7 on this list with 78.3% of population 15+.
- Capital
- Gitega
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 14.39 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$3.36 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$233.8 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 63.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 25.7% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in prevalence of stunting (under-5) · #3 in forest rents share of gdp · #3 in real effective exchange rate index.
#8 Liberia
Liberia ranks #8 on this list with 76.6% of population 15+.
- Capital
- Monrovia
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 5.73 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$5.25 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$915.3 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 62.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 56.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Monrovia.
Also ranks #2 in forest rents share of gdp · #3 in renewable energy share · #5 in infant mortality rate.
#9 South Sudan
South Sudan ranks #9 on this list with 73.4% of population 15+ (2023).
- Capital
- Juba
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 12.19 million people (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 57.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 21.7% of population (2025)
- Currency
- South Sudanese pound
- Official languages
- English
Also ranks #1 in infant mortality rate · #4 in inflation rate · #4 in maternal mortality ratio.
#10 Central African Republic
Central African Republic ranks #10 on this list with 73.4% of population 15+.
- Capital
- Bangui
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 5.51 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$3.07 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$556.1 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 57.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 44.6% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in population ages 0-14 share · #1 in age dependency ratio · #1 in age dependency ratio (young).
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Labour force participation rate: each country's latest value (2020–2025), ranked from highest to lowest.
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. Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.