Lower middle 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
Solomon Islands ranks #1 with 84.3% of population 15+. Tanzania is second with 83.7% of population 15+, 0.69% behind. The top five are Solomon Islands, Tanzania, Nigeria, Cambodia and Bolivia. The median across all 46 is 57.7% of population 15+; São Tomé and Principe is last at 23.3% of population 15+.
- #1
- Solomon Islands · 84.3% of population 15+
- Median
- 57.7% of population 15+
- Coverage
- 46 Lower middle income countries
- Data year
- 2025
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | Labour force participation rate (% of population 15+) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Solomon Islands | 84.3 | 2025 |
| 2 | Tanzania | 83.7 | 2025 |
| 3 | Nigeria | 82.5 | 2025 |
| 4 | Cambodia | 82.4 | 2025 |
| 5 | Bolivia | 78.6 | 2025 |
| 6 | Benin | 76.4 | 2025 |
| 7 | Angola | 74.8 | 2025 |
| 8 | Congo, Rep. | 67.8 | 2025 |
| 9 | Zimbabwe | 67.7 | 2025 |
| 10 | Kenya | 67.4 | 2025 |
| 11 | Côte d'Ivoire | 67.1 | 2025 |
| 12 | Timor-Leste | 67 | 2025 |
| 13 | Lao PDR | 66.1 | 2025 |
| 14 | Nicaragua | 66.1 | 2025 |
| 15 | Cameroon | 65.2 | 2025 |
| 16 | Bhutan | 64.8 | 2025 |
| 17 | Haiti | 63.9 | 2025 |
| 18 | Zambia | 61.9 | 2025 |
| 19 | Namibia | 58.8 | 2025 |
| 20 | Bangladesh | 58.8 | 2025 |
| 21 | Ghana | 58.5 | 2025 |
| 22 | Vanuatu | 58.1 | 2025 |
| 23 | Togo | 57.8 | 2025 |
| 24 | Uzbekistan | 57.5 | 2025 |
| 25 | Kyrgyz Republic | 57.4 | 2025 |
| 26 | Lesotho | 57.1 | 2025 |
| 27 | Honduras | 56.6 | 2025 |
| 28 | Comoros | 55.8 | 2025 |
| 29 | India | 55.7 | 2025 |
| 30 | Myanmar | 55.1 | 2025 |
| 31 | Guinea | 52.6 | 2025 |
| 32 | Pakistan | 52.3 | 2025 |
| 33 | Papua New Guinea | 52.1 | 2025 |
| 34 | Senegal | 52 | 2025 |
| 35 | Venezuela, RB | 51.9 | 2025 |
| 36 | Eswatini | 51.2 | 2025 |
| 37 | Tunisia | 45.2 | 2025 |
| 38 | West Bank and Gaza | 45 | 2022 |
| 39 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 44.6 | 2025 |
| 40 | Morocco | 43.9 | 2025 |
| 41 | Lebanon | 43.4 | 2023 |
| 42 | Mauritania | 40.8 | 2025 |
| 43 | Nepal | 39.2 | 2025 |
| 44 | Tajikistan | 38.3 | 2025 |
| 45 | Djibouti | 31.7 | 2025 |
| 46 | São Tomé and Principe | 23.3 | 2025 |
About the top 10
#1 Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands ranks #1 on this list with 84.3% of population 15+.
- Capital
- Honiara
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 838,650 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.75 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$2,086 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 70.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 31.3% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in forest rents share of gdp · #2 in female labour force participation · #3 in labour force participation rate.
#2 Tanzania
Tanzania ranks #2 on this list with 83.7% of population 15+.
- Capital
- Dodoma
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 70.55 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$90.14 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,319 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.2 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 36.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Dar es Salaam.
Also ranks #4 in labour force participation rate · #4 in female labour force participation · #5 in livestock production index.
#3 Nigeria
Nigeria ranks #3 on this list with 82.5% of population 15+.
- Capital
- Abuja
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 237.53 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$290.79 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,224 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 54.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 63.8% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt.
Also ranks #1 in under-5 mortality rate · #1 in maternal mortality ratio · #1 in children out of school (primary).
#4 Cambodia
Cambodia ranks #4 on this list with 82.4% of population 15+.
- Capital
- Phnom Penh
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 17.85 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$51.27 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$2,872 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 70.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 41.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Phnom Penh.
Also ranks #3 in time to start a business (days) · #5 in manufacturing value added share of gdp · #6 in labour force participation rate.
#5 Bolivia
Bolivia ranks #5 on this list with 78.6% of population 15+.
- Capital
- La Paz, Sucre
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 12.58 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$64.77 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$5,148 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 68.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 71.6% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
Also ranks #2 in real effective exchange rate index · #3 in bank branches per 100,000 adults · #4 in women in parliament share.
#6 Benin
Benin ranks #6 on this list with 76.4% of population 15+.
- Capital
- Porto-Novo
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 14.81 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$24.57 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,658 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 61 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 53.4% of population (2025)
Also ranks #8 in maternal mortality ratio · #10 in female labour force participation · #10 in livestock production index.
#7 Angola
Angola ranks #7 on this list with 74.8% of population 15+.
- Capital
- Luanda
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 39.04 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$122.17 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$3,130 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 64.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 71.5% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Luanda, Quilamba Quiaxi.
Also ranks #4 in gini index · #4 in oil rents share of gdp · #5 in income share of richest 10%.
#8 Congo, Rep.
Congo, Rep. ranks #8 on this list with 67.8% of population 15+.
- Capital
- Brazzaville
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 6.48 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$16.31 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$2,515 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 66 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 64.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire.
Also ranks #3 in oil rents share of gdp · #4 in natural resource rents share of gdp · #7 in unemployment rate.
#9 Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe ranks #9 on this list with 67.7% of population 15+.
- Capital
- Harare
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 16.95 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$51.22 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$3,021 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 63.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 40.5% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Harare, Masvingo.
Also ranks #2 in lending interest rate · #3 in inflation rate · #4 in income share of richest 10%.
#10 Kenya
Kenya ranks #10 on this list with 67.4% of population 15+.
- Capital
- Nairobi
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 57.53 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$135.94 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$2,363 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 63.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 32.2% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Nairobi, Mombasa.
Also ranks #8 in prevalence of undernourishment · #8 in deposit interest rate · #12 in poverty headcount ratio.
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.