Data / Rankings / Employment rate / EU countries

EU countries by employment rate, 2025

Malta had the highest employment rate of 27 EU countries in 2025, at 83.6%. Italy had the lowest, at 67.6%. The median was 78.3% and the figure for the European Union (27) was 76.1%. Source: Eurostat, European Commission.

Highest83.6Malta
Lowest67.6Italy
Median78.327 EU countries
European Union (27)76.1History

All EU countries, 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

MaltaMalta: 83.6 %83.6NetherlandsNetherlands: 83.4 %83.4CzechiaCzechia: 82.9 %82.9SwedenSweden: 81.8 %81.8EstoniaEstonia: 81.7 %81.7CyprusCyprus: 81.3 %81.3GermanyGermany: 81.1 %81.1HungaryHungary: 81.1 %81.1IrelandIreland: 80.2 %80.2LithuaniaLithuania: 80 %80DenmarkDenmark: 79.8 %79.8PortugalPortugal: 79.6 %79.6PolandPoland: 78.8 %78.8SloveniaSlovenia: 78.3 %78.3LatviaLatvia: 78.2 %78.2SlovakiaSlovakia: 78.1 %78.1AustriaAustria: 77.6 %77.6BulgariaBulgaria: 77 %77FinlandFinland: 76.3 %76.3FranceFrance: 75.4 %75.4CroatiaCroatia: 74.4 %74.4LuxembourgLuxembourg: 73.9 %73.9BelgiumBelgium: 72.8 %72.8SpainSpain: 72.4 %72.4GreeceGreece: 71 %71RomaniaRomania: 69 %69ItalyItaly: 67.6 %67.6
%. Source: Eurostat. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankEU countries2025 (%)Change on 2024
1Malta83.6+0.9 pts
2Netherlands83.4-0.1 pts
3Czechia82.9+0.6 pts
4Sweden81.8-0.1 pts
5Estonia81.7-0.1 pts
6Cyprus81.3+1.2 pts
7Germany81.10 pts
7Hungary81.10 pts
9Ireland80.2+0.4 pts
10Lithuania80+0.8 pts
11Denmark79.8-0.4 pts
12Portugal79.6+1.1 pts
13Poland78.8+0.4 pts
14Slovenia78.30 pts
15Latvia78.2+0.8 pts
16Slovakia78.10 pts
17Austria77.6+0.2 pts
18Bulgaria77+0.2 pts
19Finland76.3-0.7 pts
20France75.4+0.4 pts
21Croatia74.4+0.8 pts
22Luxembourg73.9-0.3 pts
23Belgium72.8+0.5 pts
24Spain72.4+1 pts
25Greece71+1.7 pts
26Romania69-0.5 pts
27Italy67.6+0.5 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Employed people as a percentage of the population aged 16 and over (Spain, EPA) or 20 to 64 (EU headline indicator).

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

Eurostat. Employment and activity by sex and age, annual data, employment rate 20 to 64 (lfsi_emp_a). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/lfsi_emp_a/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which EU country has the highest employment rate?

Malta, with 83.6% in 2025, according to Eurostat, European Commission.

Which EU country has the lowest employment rate?

Italy, with 67.6% in 2025.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: Eurostat, European Commission, Employment and activity by sex and age, annual data, employment rate 20 to 64 (lfsi_emp_a). Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Employment rate: other rankings

EU countries: more rankings