EU countries by employment-population ratio, ages 15 and over
The Netherlands had the highest employment-population ratio, ages 15 and over of 27 EU countries in 2017, at 62.9%. Greece had the lowest, at 40.1%. The median was 55.3%. Source: the World Bank.
All EU countries, 2017
Full ranking
| Rank | EU countries | 2017 (%) | Change on 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands | 62.9 | +0.6 pts |
| 2 | Sweden | 60.1 | +0.5 pts |
| 3 | Estonia | 59.6 | +1.2 pts |
| 4 | Germany | 58.4 | +0.4 pts |
| 5 | Czechia | 58.3 | +0.9 pts |
| 6 | Denmark | 58.2 | +0.2 pts |
| 7 | Ireland | 57.8 | +0.8 pts |
| 8 | Austria | 57.3 | +0.3 pts |
| 9 | Cyprus | 57.2 | +1.7 pts |
| 10 | Lithuania | 56.3 | +0.8 pts |
| 11 | Luxembourg | 55.5 | +0.3 pts |
| 12 | Latvia | 55.5 | +1 pts |
| 13 | Hungary | 55.4 | +1.1 pts |
| 14 | Malta | 55.3 | +1.4 pts |
| 15 | Slovakia | 55 | +0.8 pts |
| 16 | Poland | 54.8 | +1 pts |
| 17 | Slovenia | 54.7 | +2.4 pts |
| 18 | Portugal | 53.7 | +1.7 pts |
| 19 | Finland | 53.6 | +0.2 pts |
| 20 | Bulgaria | 52 | +2.7 pts |
| 21 | France | 50.1 | +0.2 pts |
| 22 | Belgium | 49.6 | +0.6 pts |
| 23 | Romania | 49.3 | +1.4 pts |
| 24 | Spain | 48 | +1.2 pts |
| 25 | Croatia | 45.7 | +1.2 pts |
| 26 | Italy | 44 | +0.5 pts |
| 27 | Greece | 40.1 | +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 EU 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.Use this data in your AI agent
Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:
Rank EU countries by employment-population ratio, ages 15 and over using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"employment_population_ratio_15_plus","level":"country","within":"European Union (27)","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=employment_population_ratio_15_plus&level=country&within=European%20Union%20(27)&limit=10Questions
Which EU country has the highest employment-population ratio, ages 15 and over?
The Netherlands, with 62.9% in 2017, according to the World Bank.
Which EU country has the lowest employment-population ratio, ages 15 and over?
Greece, with 40.1% 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.