Upper 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
Peru ranks #1 with 72.9% of population 15+. Viet Nam is second with 72.8% of population 15+, 0.11% behind. The top five are Peru, Viet Nam, Moldova, Paraguay and Jamaica. The median across all 53 is 60.5% of population 15+; Jordan is last at 40.1% of population 15+. Peru's figure has risen 6% since 2001 (68.8% of population 15+ to 72.9% of population 15+ in 2025).
- #1
- Peru · 72.9% of population 15+
- Median
- 60.5% of population 15+
- Coverage
- 53 Upper middle income countries
- Data year
- 2025
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | Labour force participation rate (% of population 15+) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peru | 72.9 | 2025 |
| 2 | Viet Nam | 72.8 | 2025 |
| 3 | Moldova | 72.3 | 2025 |
| 4 | Paraguay | 70.2 | 2025 |
| 5 | Jamaica | 69.6 | 2025 |
| 6 | Botswana | 68.8 | 2025 |
| 7 | St. Lucia | 68.3 | 2025 |
| 8 | Indonesia | 68 | 2025 |
| 9 | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 67.9 | 2025 |
| 10 | Kazakhstan | 67.8 | 2025 |
| 11 | Thailand | 66.7 | 2025 |
| 12 | Malaysia | 66.1 | 2025 |
| 13 | Dominican Republic | 64.8 | 2025 |
| 14 | China | 64.6 | 2025 |
| 15 | Ecuador | 64.5 | 2025 |
| 16 | Georgia | 64.3 | 2025 |
| 17 | Albania | 64.3 | 2025 |
| 18 | Maldives | 63.5 | 2025 |
| 19 | Colombia | 63.4 | 2025 |
| 20 | Azerbaijan | 63.3 | 2025 |
| 21 | Brazil | 63.1 | 2025 |
| 22 | Belarus | 62.7 | 2025 |
| 23 | El Salvador | 62.1 | 2025 |
| 24 | Argentina | 61.9 | 2025 |
| 25 | Mexico | 61.6 | 2025 |
| 26 | Philippines | 61.4 | 2025 |
| 27 | Equatorial Guinea | 60.5 | 2025 |
| 28 | Mongolia | 59.7 | 2025 |
| 29 | Guatemala | 59.6 | 2025 |
| 30 | Armenia | 59.4 | 2025 |
| 31 | Serbia | 59.1 | 2025 |
| 32 | Belize | 59.1 | 2025 |
| 33 | Mauritius | 58.5 | 2025 |
| 34 | Montenegro | 58 | 2025 |
| 35 | Fiji | 57.2 | 2025 |
| 36 | Cabo Verde | 57 | 2025 |
| 37 | South Africa | 55.6 | 2025 |
| 38 | Ukraine | 54.6 | 2021 |
| 39 | Türkiye | 54.4 | 2025 |
| 40 | Suriname | 53.8 | 2025 |
| 41 | Cuba | 52.2 | 2025 |
| 42 | North Macedonia | 51.9 | 2025 |
| 43 | Gabon | 51.1 | 2025 |
| 44 | Tonga | 49.8 | 2025 |
| 45 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 49 | 2025 |
| 46 | Sri Lanka | 48.5 | 2025 |
| 47 | Libya | 48 | 2025 |
| 48 | Samoa | 42.5 | 2025 |
| 49 | Turkmenistan | 42 | 2025 |
| 50 | Iraq | 41.5 | 2025 |
| 51 | Iran, Islamic Rep. | 41 | 2025 |
| 52 | Algeria | 40.8 | 2025 |
| 53 | Jordan | 40.1 | 2025 |
About the top 10
#1 Peru
Peru ranks #1 on this list with 72.9% of population 15+.
- Capital
- Lima
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 34.58 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$334.85 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$9,684 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 77.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 85.6% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Lima, Arequipa.
Also ranks #5 in fish production · #6 in firms using banks to finance investment share · #7 in atms per 100,000 adults.
#2 Viet Nam
Viet Nam ranks #2 on this list with 72.8% of population 15+.
- Capital
- Hanoi
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 101.6 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$514.7 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$5,066 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 74.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 38.8% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Đồng Nai.
Also ranks #3 in official exchange rate · #4 in fish production · #6 in container port traffic.
#3 Moldova
Moldova ranks #3 on this list with 72.3% of population 15+.
- Capital
- Chișinău
- Continent
- Europe
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 2.36 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$20.35 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$8,622 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 71.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 43.7% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in real effective exchange rate index · #2 in female population share · #5 in arable land share.
#4 Paraguay
Paraguay ranks #4 on this list with 70.2% of population 15+.
- Capital
- Asunción
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 7.01 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$49.28 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$7,027 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 74 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 70.4% of population (2025)
Also ranks #8 in official exchange rate · #11 in income share of richest 10% · #14 in gini index.
#5 Jamaica
Jamaica ranks #5 on this list with 69.6% of population 15+.
- Capital
- Kingston
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 2.84 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$22.71 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$8,003 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 71.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 59.4% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in debt service share of exports · #4 in homicide rate · #6 in immunisation (dpt) rate.
#6 Botswana
Botswana ranks #6 on this list with 68.8% of population 15+.
- Capital
- Gaborone
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 2.56 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$19.93 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$7,778 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 69.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 68% of population (2025)
Also ranks #4 in unemployment rate · #4 in hiv prevalence · #5 in youth unemployment rate.
#7 St. Lucia
St. Lucia ranks #7 on this list with 68.3% of population 15+.
- Capital
- Castries
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 180,150 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$2.66 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$14,746 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 72.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 29.1% of population (2025)
Also ranks #9 in homicide rate · #9 in immunisation (dpt) rate · #13 in population ages 15-64 share.
#8 Indonesia
Indonesia ranks #8 on this list with 68% of population 15+.
- Capital
- Jakarta
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 285.72 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.45 trillion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$5,060 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 71.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 59.4% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung.
Also ranks #2 in fish production · #4 in population · #4 in labour force size.
#9 St. Vincent and the Grenadines
St. Vincent and the Grenadines ranks #9 on this list with 67.9% of population 15+.
- Capital
- Kingstown
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 99,924 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.26 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$12,562 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 71.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 48% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in homicide rate · #5 in cereal yield · #6 in youth unemployment rate.
#10 Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan ranks #10 on this list with 67.8% of population 15+.
- Capital
- Astana
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 20.84 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$306.24 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$14,692 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 74.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 62.4% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Almaty, Shymkent, Astana.
Also ranks #2 in debt service share of exports · #4 in income share of poorest 10% · #6 in protected marine area share.
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.