Labor force, total in World
World: Labor force, total was 3.74 billion in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, total in World, 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
Analysis
In 2025, labor force, total in World stood at 3.74 billion. 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 11.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, total in World peaked at 3.74 billion in 2025 and was at its lowest, 2.32 billion, in 1990.
World ranks 1st of 48 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.51 billion | 2.32 billion | 2.72 billion | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.97 billion | 2.76 billion | 3.15 billion | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.35 billion | 3.18 billion | 3.51 billion | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.62 billion | 3.47 billion | 3.74 billion | 6 |
Countries ranked near World
More education data for World
- Population ages 15-64 65.2% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 24.4% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 102.2% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 34.10 million (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 101.5% (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, male 102.8% (2024)
- Labor force, female 40.2% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index 0.9825 GPI (2020)
- School enrollment, secondary 77.3% (2024)
- Probability of dying among youth ages 20-24 years 6.1 per 1,000 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, total in World?
- Labor force, total in World was 3.74 billion in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, total recorded in World?
- The highest recorded value was 3.74 billion in 2025.
- What is the lowest labor force, total recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.32 billion in 1990.
- How does World rank for labor force, total?
- World ranks 1st out of 48 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, total rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this World 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.