Labor force, total in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Labor force, total was 35.41 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, total in United Kingdom, 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
Analysis
In 2025, labor force, total in United Kingdom stood at 35.41 million. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 6.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, total in United Kingdom peaked at 35.41 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 28.32 million, in 1994.
United Kingdom ranks 20th 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 United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 28.87 million | — |
| 1991 | 28.73 million | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 28.55 million | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 28.35 million | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 28.32 million | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 28.32 million | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 28.45 million | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 28.63 million | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 28.69 million | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 28.98 million | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 29.28 million | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 29.31 million | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 29.64 million | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 29.86 million | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 30.08 million | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 30.48 million | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 30.98 million | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 31.19 million | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 31.58 million | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 31.74 million | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 31.90 million | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 32.15 million | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 32.48 million | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 32.69 million | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 32.99 million | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 33.27 million | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 33.59 million | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 33.75 million | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 34.02 million | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 34.21 million | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 34.26 million | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 34.11 million | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 34.49 million | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 34.98 million | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 35.32 million | +1.0% |
| 2025 | 35.41 million | +0.3% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 35.41 million is above the median for high income countries, which is 3.08 million, 11.5× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 35.41 million is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3.31 million, 10.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 28.59 million | 28.32 million | 28.98 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 30.41 million | 29.28 million | 31.74 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 33.10 million | 31.90 million | 34.21 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 34.76 million | 34.11 million | 35.41 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More education data for United Kingdom
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 388,714 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2012)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 830,495 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 790,556 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.40 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.86 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.0111 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.071 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, total in United Kingdom?
- Labor force, total in United Kingdom was 35.41 million in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, total recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 35.41 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest labor force, total recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.32 million in 1994.
- How does United Kingdom rank for labor force, total?
- United Kingdom ranks 20th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, total rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.