Labor force, total in East Timor
East Timor: Labor force, total was 635,489 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, total in East Timor, 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
Analysis
In 2025, labor force, total in East Timor stood at 635,489. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.4% on the previous year and up 29.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, total in East Timor peaked at 635,489 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 298,005, in 2000.
That places East Timor 156th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force, total in East Timor, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 315,882 | — |
| 1991 | 321,483 | +1.8% |
| 1992 | 328,558 | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 335,932 | +2.2% |
| 1994 | 344,275 | +2.5% |
| 1995 | 352,983 | +2.5% |
| 1996 | 361,681 | +2.5% |
| 1997 | 371,634 | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 383,392 | +3.2% |
| 1999 | 347,315 | -9.4% |
| 2000 | 298,005 | -14.2% |
| 2001 | 323,297 | +8.5% |
| 2002 | 352,942 | +9.2% |
| 2003 | 369,584 | +4.7% |
| 2004 | 374,867 | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 381,649 | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 393,299 | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 401,624 | +2.1% |
| 2008 | 410,153 | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 419,267 | +2.2% |
| 2010 | 428,797 | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 439,563 | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 451,161 | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 463,844 | +2.8% |
| 2014 | 476,704 | +2.8% |
| 2015 | 490,678 | +2.9% |
| 2016 | 505,233 | +3.0% |
| 2017 | 522,211 | +3.4% |
| 2018 | 538,790 | +3.2% |
| 2019 | 548,771 | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 559,412 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 579,432 | +3.6% |
| 2022 | 593,922 | +2.5% |
| 2023 | 606,149 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | 620,365 | +2.3% |
| 2025 | 635,489 | +2.4% |
East Timor compared with similar countries
- East Timor's 635,489 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.00 million, 13% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- East Timor's 635,489 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.75 million, 17% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 346,314 | 315,882 | 383,392 | 10 |
| 2000s | 372,469 | 298,005 | 419,267 | 10 |
| 2010s | 486,575 | 428,797 | 548,771 | 10 |
| 2020s | 599,128 | 559,412 | 635,489 | 6 |
Countries ranked near East Timor
- 153 Estonia 754,206 compare
- 154 Equatorial Guinea 737,977 compare
- 155 Trinidad and Tobago 651,715 compare
- 157 Mauritius 622,328 compare
- 158 Solomon Islands 448,502 compare
- 159 Eswatini 430,869 compare
More education data for East Timor
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6,182 (2020)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 140 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 13,267 (2020)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 13,390 (2020)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 162,113 (2020)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 227,656 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.28 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1645 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, total in East Timor?
- Labor force, total in East Timor was 635,489 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, total recorded in East Timor?
- The highest recorded value was 635,489 in 2025.
- What is the lowest labor force, total recorded in East Timor?
- The lowest recorded value was 298,005 in 2000.
- How does East Timor rank for labor force, total?
- East Timor ranks 156th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, total rising or falling in East Timor?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this East Timor 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.