Labor force, total in Middle income
Middle income: Labor force, total was 2.74 billion in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, total in Middle income, 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
Analysis
Middle income recorded 2.74 billion for labor force, total in 2025. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 11.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, total in Middle income peaked at 2.74 billion in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1.64 billion, in 1990.
Middle income ranks 4th of 47 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force, total in Middle income, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1.64 billion | — |
| 1991 | 1.67 billion | +2.0% |
| 1992 | 1.71 billion | +2.0% |
| 1993 | 1.74 billion | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 1.77 billion | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 1.81 billion | +2.0% |
| 1996 | 1.84 billion | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 1.88 billion | +2.2% |
| 1998 | 1.92 billion | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 1.96 billion | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 2.00 billion | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 2.04 billion | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 2.07 billion | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 2.11 billion | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 2.15 billion | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 2.19 billion | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 2.22 billion | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 2.25 billion | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 2.27 billion | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 2.30 billion | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 2.32 billion | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 2.35 billion | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 2.38 billion | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 2.40 billion | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 2.43 billion | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 2.46 billion | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 2.48 billion | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 2.51 billion | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 2.54 billion | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 2.56 billion | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 2.53 billion | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 2.60 billion | +2.9% |
| 2022 | 2.63 billion | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 2.68 billion | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 2.71 billion | +1.2% |
| 2025 | 2.74 billion | +1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.80 billion | 1.64 billion | 1.96 billion | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.16 billion | 2.00 billion | 2.30 billion | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.44 billion | 2.32 billion | 2.56 billion | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.65 billion | 2.53 billion | 2.74 billion | 6 |
Countries ranked near Middle income
More education data for Middle income
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 25.11 million (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 66.5% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 24.4% (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 510.99 million (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0986 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 589.09 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.71 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, total in Middle income?
- Labor force, total in Middle income was 2.74 billion in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, total recorded in Middle income?
- The highest recorded value was 2.74 billion in 2025.
- What is the lowest labor force, total recorded in Middle income?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.64 billion in 1990.
- How does Middle income rank for labor force, total?
- Middle income ranks 4th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, total rising or falling in Middle income?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Middle income 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.