Labor force, total in Small states
Small states: Labor force, total was 8.86 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, total in Small states, 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
Analysis
Small states recorded 8.86 million 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 15.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, total in Small states peaked at 8.86 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 5.37 million, in 1990.
Small states ranks 44th of 47 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force, total in Small states, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 5.37 million | — |
| 1991 | 5.45 million | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 5.49 million | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 5.52 million | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 5.59 million | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 5.65 million | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 5.73 million | +1.4% |
| 1997 | 5.83 million | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 5.92 million | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 5.98 million | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 6.04 million | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 6.16 million | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 6.27 million | +1.9% |
| 2003 | 6.45 million | +2.8% |
| 2004 | 6.54 million | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 6.62 million | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 6.76 million | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 6.86 million | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 6.97 million | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 7.06 million | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 7.16 million | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 7.26 million | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 7.36 million | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 7.48 million | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 7.58 million | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 7.70 million | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 7.80 million | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 7.94 million | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 8.08 million | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 8.23 million | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 8.06 million | -2.1% |
| 2021 | 8.19 million | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 8.48 million | +3.5% |
| 2023 | 8.69 million | +2.5% |
| 2024 | 8.77 million | +0.9% |
| 2025 | 8.86 million | +1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5.65 million | 5.37 million | 5.98 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.57 million | 6.04 million | 7.06 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.66 million | 7.16 million | 8.23 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.51 million | 8.06 million | 8.86 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Small states
- 41 Angola 16.32 million compare
- 42 Mozambique 15.66 million compare
- 43 Australia 15.13 million compare
- 44 Uzbekistan 14.64 million compare
- 45 Algeria 13.56 million compare
- 46 Ghana 13.25 million compare
- 47 Cote d'Ivoire 13.07 million compare
More education data for Small states
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.48 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.13 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.09 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.2538 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 243,069 (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 66.0% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 24.2% (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, total in Small states?
- Labor force, total in Small states was 8.86 million in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, total recorded in Small states?
- The highest recorded value was 8.86 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest labor force, total recorded in Small states?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.37 million in 1990.
- How does Small states rank for labor force, total?
- Small states ranks 44th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, total rising or falling in Small states?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Small states 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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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.