Data / Rankings / Employment-population ratio, ages 15 and over / Countries

Countries by employment-population ratio, ages 15 and over

Qatar had the highest employment-population ratio, ages 15 and over of 186 countries in 2017, at 87.4%. São Tomé and Príncipe had the lowest, at 21.8%. The median was 56.8% and the figure for the World was 57.7%. Source: the World Bank.

Highest87.4Qatar
Lowest21.8São Tomé and Príncipe
Median56.8186 countries
World57.7History

Top 40 countries, 2017

Qatar: 87.4 %Qatar87.4Madagascar: 83.8 %Madagascar83.8Solomon Islands: 83.7 %Solomon Islands83.7Tanzania: 82.3 %Tanzania82.3Cambodia: 81.3 %Cambodia81.3North Korea: 79.2 %North Korea79.2Burundi: 79.1 %Burundi79.1Nigeria: 77 %Nigeria77United Arab Emirates: 76.8 %United Arab Emirates76.8Mozambique: 75.9 %Mozambique75.9Vietnam: 75.8 %Vietnam75.8Iceland: 74.8 %Iceland74.8Liberia: 74.6 %Liberia74.6Burkina Faso: 74.5 %Burkina Faso74.5Eritrea: 74.4 %Eritrea74.4Peru: 74.2 %Peru74.2Benin: 73.1 %Benin73.1Ethiopia: 72.8 %Ethiopia72.8Niger: 72.5 %Niger72.5Kuwait: 71.8 %Kuwait71.8Bahrain: 71.5 %Bahrain71.5Kenya: 69.7 %Kenya69.7Uganda: 69.3 %Uganda69.3Central African Republic: 69.1 %Central African Republic69.1Oman: 68.9 %Oman68.9Macao: 68.5 %Macao68.5Mali: 68.1 %Mali68.1Moldova: 67.2 %Moldova67.2New Zealand: 67.1 %New Zealand67.1Thailand: 67 %Thailand67Bahamas: 66.9 %Bahamas66.9Cameroon: 66.8 %Cameroon66.8Kazakhstan: 66.8 %Kazakhstan66.8Paraguay: 66.7 %Paraguay66.7Bolivia: 66.1 %Bolivia66.1Singapore: 66 %Singapore66Ecuador: 65.5 %Ecuador65.5China: 65.3 %China65.3Switzerland: 65.3 %Switzerland65.3South Sudan: 64.6 %South Sudan64.6
%. Source: World Bank (modelled estimate), Employment to population ratio, 15+, total, %, modeled ILO estimate (SL.EMP.TOTL.SP.ZS). Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Full ranking

RankCountries2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Qatar87.40 pts
2Madagascar83.8-0.3 pts
3Solomon Islands83.7-0 pts
4Tanzania82.30 pts
5Cambodia81.3+0.1 pts
6North Korea79.2+0.1 pts
7Burundi79.1+0.3 pts
8Nigeria77-0.2 pts
9United Arab Emirates76.8-0.3 pts
10Mozambique75.9-0.3 pts
11Vietnam75.8+0.2 pts
12Iceland74.8-0.3 pts
13Liberia74.6-0 pts
14Burkina Faso74.5-0.3 pts
15Eritrea74.4-0.1 pts
16Peru74.2+1.6 pts
17Benin73.1+0.5 pts
18Ethiopia72.8-1.6 pts
19Niger72.5-0.2 pts
20Kuwait71.8+0.6 pts
21Bahrain71.5+0.4 pts
22Kenya69.7-2.6 pts
23Uganda69.3-2.3 pts
24Central African Republic69.1-0 pts
25Oman68.9+0.9 pts
26Macao68.5-0.2 pts
27Mali68.1-0.8 pts
28Moldova67.2-1.6 pts
29New Zealand67.1+1.2 pts
30Thailand67-0.9 pts
31Bahamas66.9+2.3 pts
32Cameroon66.8-0.9 pts
33Kazakhstan66.8-0.1 pts
34Paraguay66.7+0.4 pts
35Bolivia66.1+1.1 pts
36Singapore66-0.4 pts
37Ecuador65.5+1 pts
38China65.3-0.4 pts
39Switzerland65.3-0 pts
40South Sudan64.6+0.2 pts
41Ghana64.6+0.1 pts
42Timor-Leste64.2+0.5 pts
43Indonesia64.2+0.7 pts
44Côte d’Ivoire64-1.6 pts
45Nicaragua63.2+0.5 pts
46Angola63-0.3 pts
47Malaysia63+0.1 pts
48Netherlands62.9+0.6 pts
49Norway62.9-0.2 pts
50Israel62.8+0.2 pts
51Panama62.4-0.7 pts
52Zimbabwe61.8-0.4 pts
53Azerbaijan61.8+0.4 pts
54Democratic Republic of the Congo61.8-0.3 pts
55Australia61.6+0.4 pts
56Canada61.6+0.5 pts
57Myanmar61.2-1.5 pts
58Guinea-Bissau61.1-0.1 pts
59Bhutan60.9-0.4 pts
60Belarus60.8+0.2 pts
61Jamaica60.8+1.5 pts
62Honduras60.8+1.7 pts
63South Korea60.6+0.3 pts
64Barbados60.5-0.2 pts
65Malawi60.3-1.7 pts
66Sweden60.1+0.5 pts
67Colombia60-0.5 pts
68United States59.8+0.4 pts
69Chad59.8-0.5 pts
70Belize59.8+0.1 pts
71United Kingdom59.6+0.3 pts
72Estonia59.6+1.2 pts
73Trinidad and Tobago59.5-0.6 pts
74Guatemala59.4+0.3 pts
75Russia59.2-0.1 pts
76Brunei59.1-0.7 pts
77Uruguay59.1-0.5 pts
78Guam59-0 pts
79Japan58.7+0.6 pts
80Dominican Republic58.7+0.8 pts
81Hong Kong58.6+0.2 pts
82Chile58.4+0.4 pts
83Germany58.4+0.4 pts
84Czechia58.3+0.9 pts
85Denmark58.2+0.2 pts
86Mexico58.2+0.1 pts
87Laos57.8-0.5 pts
88Ireland57.8+0.8 pts
89Philippines57.6-2.3 pts
90Austria57.3+0.3 pts
91Cyprus57.2+1.7 pts
92Venezuela56.9-1 pts
93Vanuatu56.8-0.6 pts
94Haiti56.70 pts
95Georgia56.7+1.6 pts
96Equatorial Guinea56.5+0.1 pts
97El Salvador56.4-0.2 pts
98Lithuania56.3+0.8 pts
99Brazil56.3-0.6 pts
100Saint Lucia56.1+0.6 pts
101Maldives56+2.4 pts
102Zambia55.9+0.3 pts
103Togo55.9-0.5 pts
104Mauritius55.8+0.3 pts
105Bangladesh55.8+2.1 pts
106Saudi Arabia55.5-1.8 pts
107Luxembourg55.5+0.3 pts
108Latvia55.5+1 pts
109Hungary55.4+1.1 pts
110Mongolia55.4+1.2 pts
111Malta55.3+1.4 pts
112Costa Rica55.2+0.4 pts
113Slovakia55+0.8 pts
114Fiji54.9-0.2 pts
115Poland54.8+1 pts
116Slovenia54.7+2.4 pts
117Cuba54.6+0.1 pts
118Saint Vincent and the Grenadines54.4+0.1 pts
119Kyrgyzstan54.4-2.3 pts
120Republic of the Congo54-0.3 pts
121Argentina53.9-0.3 pts
122Portugal53.7+1.7 pts
123Finland53.6+0.2 pts
124Rwanda53.3-0.1 pts
125Tonga53.2-0.4 pts
126Uzbekistan53.2-0.4 pts
127New Caledonia53.2-0.5 pts
128Sierra Leone52.7-0.4 pts
129U.S. Virgin Islands52.4+0.9 pts
130Bulgaria52+2.7 pts
131Cape Verde51.9-0.1 pts
132Sri Lanka51.8+0.4 pts
133Suriname51.70 pts
134Guinea51.6-0.6 pts
135Ukraine51-0.1 pts
136Armenia50.6-0.2 pts
137Botswana50.40 pts
138Lesotho50.4-1.2 pts
139Albania50.2+1.7 pts
140France50.1+0.2 pts
141Pakistan49.7-0.8 pts
142Belgium49.6+0.6 pts
143French Polynesia49.40 pts
144Samoa49.3-0.2 pts
145Romania49.3+1.4 pts
146Papua New Guinea49.1+0.3 pts
147India48.7-0.2 pts
148Guyana48.1-0.2 pts
149Spain48+1.2 pts
150Comoros47.3+1.5 pts
151Türkiye47.1+0.7 pts
152Namibia46.7+0.4 pts
153Serbia46.3+1.4 pts
154Croatia45.7+1.2 pts
155Gambia45.3+0.5 pts
156Montenegro44.2+0.8 pts
157Senegal44.1-3.8 pts
158Italy44+0.5 pts
159Lebanon43.1+0.2 pts
160Afghanistan42-0.4 pts
161Turkmenistan41.4-0.2 pts
162Morocco41.3-0.9 pts
163North Macedonia41+0.6 pts
164Gabon40.7+0.1 pts
165South Africa40.4+0.2 pts
166Tunisia40.2-0.1 pts
167Greece40.1+1 pts
168Libya39.9+0.2 pts
169Egypt39.7-1.2 pts
170Bosnia and Herzegovina39.3+2.3 pts
171Iran38.8+1.1 pts
172Eswatini38.4-1.2 pts
173Algeria37.2-0.8 pts
174Sudan36.9-0.7 pts
175Mauritania36.9-0.5 pts
176Iraq36.4-2 pts
177Tajikistan36.1-0.8 pts
178Nepal35.7-0.1 pts
179Puerto Rico34.1+0.5 pts
180Jordan32.9-0.1 pts
181Palestine32.7-0.6 pts
182Syria32.6+0.1 pts
183Somalia27.80 pts
184Yemen26.4+0.1 pts
185Djibouti23.9-0.1 pts
186São Tomé and Príncipe21.8+0.1 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Employed people as a percentage of the population aged 15 and over. ILO modelled estimates published by the World Bank, annual.

A separate series from employment_population_ratio, which is the US civilian series for ages 16 and over from the Current Population Survey. This one covers ages 15 and over for countries and the World.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the countries are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

World Bank, World Development Indicators, modelled estimate. Employment to population ratio, 15+, total, %, modeled ILO estimate (SL.EMP.TOTL.SP.ZS). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.EMP.TOTL.SP.ZS. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

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Questions

Which country has the highest employment-population ratio, ages 15 and over?

Qatar, with 87.4% in 2017, according to the World Bank.

Which country has the lowest employment-population ratio, ages 15 and over?

São Tomé and Príncipe, with 21.8% in 2017.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: World Bank, Employment to population ratio, 15+, total, %, modeled ILO estimate (SL.EMP.TOTL.SP.ZS). Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Employment-population ratio, ages 15 and over: other rankings

Countries: more rankings