Low income Countries Ranked by Labour force size (2025)
Labour force size: each country's latest value (2020–2025), ranked from highest to lowest. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Ethiopia ranks #1 with 56.78 million people. Congo, Dem. Rep. is second with 39.22 million people, 44.8% behind. The top five are Ethiopia, Congo, Dem. Rep., Uganda, Korea, Dem. People's Rep. and Madagascar. Together the top 10 account for 74.9% of the total across the 25 Low income countries listed. The median across all 25 is 8.16 million people; Gambia, The is last at 807,280 people. Ethiopia's figure has risen 91% since 2001 (29.76 million people to 56.78 million people in 2025).
- #1
- Ethiopia · 56.78 million people
- Median
- 8.16 million people
- Coverage
- 25 Low income countries
- Data year
- 2025
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Ethiopia 20.1%Congo, Dem. Rep. 13.8%Uganda 8.3%Korea, Dem. People's Rep. 6.2%Madagascar 6.0%All others 45.6%
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | Labour force size (people) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ethiopia | 56,779,000 | 2025 |
| 2 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 39,218,000 | 2025 |
| 3 | Uganda | 23,394,000 | 2025 |
| 4 | Korea, Dem. People's Rep. | 17,697,000 | 2025 |
| 5 | Madagascar | 17,092,000 | 2025 |
| 6 | Mozambique | 15,658,000 | 2025 |
| 7 | Niger | 11,971,000 | 2025 |
| 8 | Sudan | 10,949,000 | 2022 |
| 9 | Burkina Faso | 9,914,900 | 2025 |
| 10 | Afghanistan | 9,433,000 | 2025 |
| 11 | Mali | 9,156,600 | 2025 |
| 12 | Malawi | 8,323,700 | 2025 |
| 13 | Yemen, Rep. | 8,155,900 | 2025 |
| 14 | Syrian Arab Republic | 6,764,800 | 2025 |
| 15 | Chad | 6,746,500 | 2025 |
| 16 | Burundi | 6,308,200 | 2025 |
| 17 | Rwanda | 5,843,300 | 2025 |
| 18 | South Sudan | 5,070,300 | 2023 |
| 19 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 3,555,400 | 2025 |
| 20 | Sierra Leone | 2,935,000 | 2025 |
| 21 | Liberia | 2,673,800 | 2025 |
| 22 | Central African Republic | 2,076,400 | 2025 |
| 23 | Eritrea | 1,763,700 | 2025 |
| 24 | Guinea-Bissau | 899,220 | 2025 |
| 25 | Gambia, The | 807,280 | 2025 |
About the top 10
#1 Ethiopia
Ethiopia ranks #1 on this list with 56.78 million people.
- Capital
- Addis Ababa
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 135.47 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$126.36 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$932.7 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 24.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Addis Ababa.
Also ranks #3 in children out of school (primary) · #6 in rural population · #6 in gdp growth rate.
#2 Congo, Dem. Rep.
Congo, Dem. Rep. ranks #2 on this list with 39.22 million people.
- Capital
- Kinshasa
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 112.83 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$91.03 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$806.8 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 62.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 45.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Kinshasa, Mbuji-Mayi, Kananga.
Also ranks #1 in renewable energy share · #1 in poverty headcount ratio · #1 in mineral rents share of gdp.
#3 Uganda
Uganda ranks #3 on this list with 23.39 million people.
- 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 Korea, Dem. People's Rep.
Korea, Dem. People's Rep. ranks #4 on this list with 17.7 million people.
- 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.
#5 Madagascar
Madagascar ranks #5 on this list with 17.09 million people.
- 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.
#6 Mozambique
Mozambique ranks #6 on this list with 15.66 million people.
- 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.
#7 Niger
Niger ranks #7 on this list with 11.97 million people.
- 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.
#8 Sudan
Sudan ranks #8 on this list with 10.95 million people (2022).
- 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.
#9 Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso ranks #9 on this list with 9.91 million people.
- 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.
#10 Afghanistan
Afghanistan ranks #10 on this list with 9.43 million people.
- 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.
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 size: each country's latest value (2020–2025), ranked from highest to lowest.
Source: The World Bank, indicator SL.TLF.TOTL.IN. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.
The World Bank: Labor force, total: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database (via World Development Indicators)
Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database; United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division; Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
Values are shown as published. Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.