Labor force, total in Italy
Italy: Labor force, total was 25.66 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, total in Italy, 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
Analysis
Italy recorded 25.66 million for labor force, total in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and up 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, total in Italy peaked at 25.81 million in 2023 and was at its lowest, 22.75 million, in 1995.
Italy ranks 27th of 187 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force, total in Italy, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 23.72 million | — |
| 1991 | 24.07 million | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 23.36 million | -2.9% |
| 1993 | 23.18 million | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 22.89 million | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 22.75 million | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 22.98 million | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 23.03 million | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 23.19 million | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 23.31 million | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 23.34 million | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 23.40 million | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 23.62 million | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 23.94 million | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 24.57 million | +2.6% |
| 2005 | 24.44 million | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 24.53 million | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 24.53 million | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 24.90 million | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 24.72 million | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 24.68 million | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 24.72 million | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 25.27 million | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 25.18 million | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 25.33 million | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 25.27 million | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 25.55 million | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 25.72 million | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 25.78 million | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 25.76 million | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 24.98 million | -3.0% |
| 2021 | 25.03 million | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 25.35 million | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 25.81 million | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 25.76 million | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 25.66 million | -0.4% |
Italy compared with similar countries
- Italy's 25.66 million is above the median for high income countries, which is 3.08 million, 8.3× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Italy's 25.66 million is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3.31 million, 7.8× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 23.25 million | 22.75 million | 24.07 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 24.20 million | 23.34 million | 24.90 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.33 million | 24.68 million | 25.78 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.43 million | 24.98 million | 25.81 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Italy
More education data for Italy
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 423,797 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 6,592 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 667,641 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 620,157 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.61 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.63 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.167 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0445 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, total in Italy?
- Labor force, total in Italy was 25.66 million in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, total recorded in Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 25.81 million in 2023.
- What is the lowest labor force, total recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.75 million in 1995.
- How does Italy rank for labor force, total?
- Italy ranks 27th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, total rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Italy 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.