EU countries by labor force participation rate, ages 15 and over
The Netherlands had the highest labor force participation rate, ages 15 and over of 27 EU countries in 2018, at 66.4%. Italy had the lowest, at 49.6%. The median was 59.3%. Source: the World Bank.
All EU countries, 2018
Full ranking
| Rank | EU countries | 2018 (%) | Change on 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands | 66.4 | +0.3 pts |
| 2 | Cyprus | 65.4 | +1 pts |
| 3 | Sweden | 64.5 | +0.1 pts |
| 4 | Estonia | 63.5 | +0.3 pts |
| 5 | Ireland | 62.1 | +0.2 pts |
| 6 | Denmark | 61.9 | +0.1 pts |
| 7 | Lithuania | 61.5 | +0.9 pts |
| 8 | Latvia | 61.3 | +0.6 pts |
| 9 | Austria | 60.9 | +0.3 pts |
| 10 | Germany | 60.9 | +0.2 pts |
| 11 | Czechia | 60.4 | +0.3 pts |
| 12 | Slovakia | 59.7 | -0.2 pts |
| 13 | Finland | 59.3 | +0.6 pts |
| 14 | Luxembourg | 59.3 | +0.6 pts |
| 15 | Malta | 59.3 | +1.6 pts |
| 16 | Portugal | 59 | +0.1 pts |
| 17 | Slovenia | 58.9 | +0.4 pts |
| 18 | Hungary | 58.3 | +0.5 pts |
| 19 | Spain | 57.6 | -0.4 pts |
| 20 | Poland | 57.5 | -0 pts |
| 21 | Bulgaria | 55.3 | -0.1 pts |
| 22 | France | 55.3 | 0 pts |
| 23 | Belgium | 53.7 | +0.3 pts |
| 24 | Romania | 51.8 | -0 pts |
| 25 | Croatia | 50.9 | -0.5 pts |
| 26 | Greece | 50.8 | -0.2 pts |
| 27 | Italy | 49.6 | +0.1 pts |
Other periods
About this ranking
The labor force, comprising employed and unemployed people, as a percentage of the population aged 15 and over. ILO modelled estimates published by the World Bank, annual.
A separate series from labor_force_participation_rate, 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. Labor force participation rate, total, % of total population ages 15+, modeled ILO estimate (SL.TLF.CACT.ZS). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.TLF.CACT.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 labor force participation rate, ages 15 and over using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"labor_force_participation_rate_15_plus","level":"country","within":"European Union (27)","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=labor_force_participation_rate_15_plus&level=country&within=European%20Union%20(27)&limit=10Questions
Which EU country has the highest labor force participation rate, ages 15 and over?
The Netherlands, with 66.4% in 2018, according to the World Bank.
Which EU country has the lowest labor force participation rate, ages 15 and over?
Italy, with 49.6% in 2018.
Where does this ranking come from?
Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: World Bank, Labor force participation rate, total, % of total population ages 15+, modeled ILO estimate (SL.TLF.CACT.ZS). Retrieved 2026-10-11.