Labor force, total in Ukraine

Ukraine: Labor force, total was 20.54 million in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
20.54 million
Change on year
down 1.5%
World rank
34th
of 187 countries
All-time high
24.29 million
in 1992
All-time low
20.54 million
in 2021
Years of data
32
1990–2021

Labor force, total in Ukraine, 1990–2021

05.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M25.0M1990200520211990: 24.3M1991: 24.3M1992: 24.3M1993: 24.3M1994: 24.1M1995: 23.9M1996: 23.8M1997: 23.6M1998: 23.5M1999: 23.4M2000: 23.3M2001: 23.2M2002: 23.1M2003: 23.0M2004: 22.9M2005: 22.7M2006: 22.6M2007: 22.7M2008: 22.6M2009: 22.5M2010: 22.4M2011: 22.4M2012: 22.3M2013: 22.2M2014: 22.0M2015: 21.9M2016: 21.8M2017: 21.6M2018: 21.5M2019: 21.4M2020: 20.9M2021: 20.5M

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

Analysis

In 2021, labor force, total in Ukraine stood at 20.54 million. That is the lowest value across all 32 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 8.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force, total in Ukraine peaked at 24.29 million in 1992 and was at its lowest, 20.54 million, in 2021.

Ukraine ranks 34th of 187 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 32 years of available data.

Labor force, total in Ukraine, year by year

Annual values for Labor force, total in Ukraine, 1990 to 2021.
Year Value Change
1990 24.28 million
1991 24.27 million -0.0%
1992 24.29 million +0.1%
1993 24.26 million -0.1%
1994 24.12 million -0.6%
1995 23.94 million -0.7%
1996 23.76 million -0.7%
1997 23.60 million -0.7%
1998 23.49 million -0.5%
1999 23.39 million -0.4%
2000 23.29 million -0.5%
2001 23.19 million -0.4%
2002 23.11 million -0.4%
2003 23.02 million -0.4%
2004 22.91 million -0.5%
2005 22.75 million -0.7%
2006 22.60 million -0.6%
2007 22.74 million +0.6%
2008 22.65 million -0.4%
2009 22.54 million -0.4%
2010 22.45 million -0.4%
2011 22.35 million -0.4%
2012 22.26 million -0.4%
2013 22.17 million -0.4%
2014 22.03 million -0.6%
2015 21.89 million -0.7%
2016 21.76 million -0.6%
2017 21.65 million -0.5%
2018 21.53 million -0.5%
2019 21.43 million -0.5%
2020 20.85 million -2.7%
2021 20.54 million -1.5%

Ukraine compared with similar countries

  • Ukraine's 20.54 million is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.32 million, 6.2× the median. (53 countries reporting)
  • Ukraine's 20.54 million is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3.31 million, 6.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 23.94 million 23.39 million 24.29 million 10
2000s 22.88 million 22.54 million 23.29 million 10
2010s 21.95 million 21.43 million 22.45 million 10
2020s 20.69 million 20.54 million 20.85 million 2

Countries ranked near Ukraine

  1. 31 Myanmar 22.94 million compare
  2. 32 Canada 22.85 million compare
  3. 33 Argentina 22.42 million compare
  4. 35 Peru 19.24 million compare
  5. 36 Malaysia 18.72 million compare
  6. 37 Saudi Arabia 18.38 million compare

See the full ranking of 235 places →

More education data for Ukraine

All data for Ukraine →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force, total in Ukraine?
Labor force, total in Ukraine was 20.54 million in 2021, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
What is the highest labor force, total recorded in Ukraine?
The highest recorded value was 24.29 million in 1992.
What is the lowest labor force, total recorded in Ukraine?
The lowest recorded value was 20.54 million in 2021.
How does Ukraine rank for labor force, total?
Ukraine ranks 34th out of 187 countries with data for 2021.
Is labor force, total rising or falling in Ukraine?
Over the last ten years it is down 8.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Ukraine 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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Labor force, total in Ukraine. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/labor-force-total/ukraine/

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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
235 places, 8,446 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.