Labor force, total in IBRD only

IBRD only: Labor force, total was 2.34 billion in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
2.34 billion
Change on year
up 0.8%
Rank
5th
of 48 groups
All-time high
2.34 billion
in 2025
All-time low
1.54 billion
in 1990
Years of data
36
1990–2025

Labor force, total in IBRD only, 1990–2025

0500.0M1.0B1.5B2.0B2.5B1990200720251990: 1.5B1991: 1.6B1992: 1.6B1993: 1.6B1994: 1.6B1995: 1.7B1996: 1.7B1997: 1.7B1998: 1.8B1999: 1.8B2000: 1.8B2001: 1.9B2002: 1.9B2003: 1.9B2004: 1.9B2005: 2.0B2006: 2.0B2007: 2.0B2008: 2.0B2009: 2.1B2010: 2.1B2011: 2.1B2012: 2.1B2013: 2.1B2014: 2.1B2015: 2.2B2016: 2.2B2017: 2.2B2018: 2.2B2019: 2.2B2020: 2.2B2021: 2.3B2022: 2.3B2023: 2.3B2024: 2.3B2025: 2.3B

Source: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.

Analysis

The most recent figure for labor force, total in IBRD only is 2.34 billion, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.

That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and up 8.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force, total in IBRD only peaked at 2.34 billion in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1.54 billion, in 1990.

IBRD only ranks 5th of 48 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 1.66 billion 1.54 billion 1.79 billion 10
2000s 1.95 billion 1.82 billion 2.06 billion 10
2010s 2.16 billion 2.07 billion 2.23 billion 10
2020s 2.28 billion 2.19 billion 2.34 billion 6

Countries ranked near IBRD only

  1. 2 India 617.62 million compare
  2. 3 United States 174.83 million compare
  3. 4 Indonesia 147.10 million compare
  4. 5 Nigeria 116.58 million compare
  5. 6 Brazil 108.32 million compare
  6. 7 Pakistan 85.16 million compare
  7. 8 Bangladesh 74.74 million compare

See the full ranking of 234 places →

More education data for IBRD only

All data for IBRD only →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force, total in IBRD only?
Labor force, total in IBRD only was 2.34 billion in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
What is the highest labor force, total recorded in IBRD only?
The highest recorded value was 2.34 billion in 2025.
What is the lowest labor force, total recorded in IBRD only?
The lowest recorded value was 1.54 billion in 1990.
How does IBRD only rank for labor force, total?
IBRD only ranks 5th out of 48 groups with data for 2025.
Is labor force, total rising or falling in IBRD only?
Over the last ten years it is up 8.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this IBRD only 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.

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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.