China vs Low & middle income: Labor force, total

China
768.07 million
in 2025
Low & middle income
3.00 billion
in 2025
China rank
1st
Low & middle income rank
3rd

Labor force, total over time

  • China
  • Low & middle income
500.0M1.0B1.5B2.0B2.5B3.0B199020072025

How they compare

Low & middle income currently reports 3.00 billion against 768.07 million in China, a difference of 2.23 billion.

That makes Low & middle income's figure about 3.9 times China's.

Across all 36 years both countries report, Low & middle income has been ahead every year.

China ranks 1st and Low & middle income ranks 3rd of 186 countries.

Low & middle income has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade China Low & middle income Difference Ahead
1990s 669.21 million 1.92 billion 1.25 billion Low & middle income
2000s 745.42 million 2.33 billion 1.58 billion Low & middle income
2010s 778.48 million 2.66 billion 1.88 billion Low & middle income
2020s 770.50 million 2.90 billion 2.13 billion Low & middle income

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher labor force, total, China or Low & middle income?
Low & middle income, at 3.00 billion against 768.07 million in China as of 2025.
What is the difference in labor force, total between China and Low & middle income?
2.23 billion, with Low & middle income ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and Low & middle income?
36 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2025.
How do China and Low & middle income rank globally for labor force, total?
China ranks 1st and Low & middle income ranks 3rd of 186 countries.
Where does this data come from?
International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database, published as Labor force, total. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator
Labor force, total
Source
International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
234 places, 8,410 data points, 1990–2025
Last refreshed

Labor force comprises people ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period. It includes people who are currently employed and people who are unemployed but seeking work as well as first-time job-seekers. Not everyone who works is included, however. Unpaid workers, family workers, and students are often omitted, and some countries do not count members of the armed forces. Labor force size tends to vary during the year as seasonal workers enter and leave.