Labor force, total in China
China: Labor force, total was 768.07 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, total in China, 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
Analysis
In 2025, labor force, total in China stood at 768.07 million.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, total in China peaked at 781.19 million in 2021 and was at its lowest, 639.91 million, in 1990.
That places China 1st out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force, total in China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 639.91 million | — |
| 1991 | 646.25 million | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 652.55 million | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 658.33 million | +0.9% |
| 1994 | 664.57 million | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 671.24 million | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 678.36 million | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 686.47 million | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 694.01 million | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 700.43 million | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 706.84 million | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 715.93 million | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 725.94 million | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 735.68 million | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 744.94 million | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 754.47 million | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 761.96 million | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 766.49 million | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 769.78 million | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 772.14 million | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 773.87 million | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 778.28 million | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 779.02 million | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 779.25 million | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 780.37 million | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 781.08 million | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 780.93 million | -0.0% |
| 2017 | 779.17 million | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 776.87 million | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 775.93 million | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 760.88 million | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 781.19 million | +2.7% |
| 2022 | 770.11 million | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 774.61 million | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 768.16 million | -0.8% |
| 2025 | 768.07 million | -0.0% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 768.07 million is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.32 million, 231.3× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- China's 768.07 million is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.75 million, 205.0× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 669.21 million | 639.91 million | 700.43 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 745.42 million | 706.84 million | 772.14 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 778.48 million | 773.87 million | 781.08 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 770.50 million | 760.88 million | 781.19 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
More education data for China
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.41 million (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 7,020 (2021)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 21.58 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 19.36 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 97.98 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 108.57 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.9587 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0771 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, total in China?
- Labor force, total in China was 768.07 million in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, total recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 781.19 million in 2021.
- What is the lowest labor force, total recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 639.91 million in 1990.
- How does China rank for labor force, total?
- China ranks 1st out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, total rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database, published as part of Labor force, total. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
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.