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Labour · World Bank income group

Labour in lower-middle-income countries: how the countries rank

Who works and who is looking for work, by ILO modelled estimates. 13 indicators for the 47 economies in the lower-middle income group, ranked within the group; the group figure is the World Bank aggregate.

Labour force1.2bngroup, 2025 · world 3.7bnParticipation rate58.2%group, 2025 · world 61.0%Women's participation39.2%group, 2025 · world 48.9%Employment rate55.6%group, 2025 · world 58.1%Unemployment4.5%group, 2025 · world 4.8%Female unemployment4.9%group, 2025 · world 4.9%Youth unemployment13.1%group, 2025 · world 13.4%Youth NEET rate21.8%group, 2024
Labour force
lower-middle-income countriesWorldlow-income countriesupper-middle-income countrieshigh-income countries
01.0bn2.0bn3.0bn4.0bn1995200020052010201520202025lower-middle-income countries1.2bnWorldlow-income countriesupper-middle-income countrieshigh-income countries
Participation rate
lower-middle-income countriesWorldlow-income countriesupper-middle-income countrieshigh-income countries
55%60%65%70%75%1995200020052010201520202025lower-middle-income countries58.2%Worldlow-income countriesupper-middle-income countrieshigh-income countries
countries

All 47 economies, labour

Latest value and rank within the group (small figure). Click a column to sort; the country name opens its labour profile.

47 shown
CountryLabour forceParticipation rateWomen's participationEmployment rateUnemploymentFemale unemploymentYouth unemploymentYouth NEET rate
India618m#1 · 202555.7%#29 · 202532.4%#35 · 202553.3%#28 · 20254.2%#27 · 20254.1%#28 · 202516.0%#16 · 202525.6%#21 · 2025
Nigeria117m#2 · 202582.5%#3 · 202580.7%#2 · 202580.0%#4 · 20253.1%#33 · 20253.9%#32 · 20255.3%#35 · 202511.9%#39 · 2024
Pakistan85.2m#3 · 202552.3%#32 · 202524.0%#39 · 202549.5%#32 · 20255.4%#20 · 20256.9%#17 · 20259.6%#25 · 202528.5%#17 · 2025
Bangladesh74.7m#4 · 202558.8%#20 · 202538.6%#32 · 202556.6%#19 · 20253.8%#29 · 20253.7%#33 · 20259.4%#27 · 202515.4%#33 · 2024
Egypt36.1m#5 · 202544.6%#39 · 202518.5%#46 · 202541.5%#36 · 20256.8%#17 · 202515.3%#9 · 202518.3%#14 · 202523.8%#23 · 2024
Tanzania34.1m#6 · 202583.7%#2 · 202580.3%#3 · 202582.4%#2 · 20251.6%#43 · 20252.2%#39 · 20252.4%#45 · 202515.2%#35 · 2025
Kenya24.7m#7 · 202567.4%#10 · 202563.0%#9 · 202563.7%#11 · 20255.4%#19 · 20256.7%#18 · 202515.2%#18 · 202518.5%#31 · 2021
Myanmar22.9m#8 · 202555.1%#30 · 202540.9%#30 · 202553.4%#27 · 20253.0%#34 · 20253.5%#34 · 20259.8%#24 · 202515.0%#36 · 2020
Angola16.3m#9 · 202574.8%#7 · 202572.2%#7 · 202564.2%#10 · 202514.1%#9 · 202514.3%#12 · 202527.2%#8 · 202524.9%#22 · 2025
Uzbekistan14.6m#10 · 202557.5%#24 · 202541.2%#29 · 202554.8%#22 · 20254.6%#26 · 20256.6%#19 · 202511.4%#20 · 2025—
Ghana13.3m#11 · 202558.5%#21 · 202555.3%#19 · 202556.8%#17 · 20253.0%#35 · 20253.2%#36 · 20255.8%#34 · 202518.2%#32 · 2025
Côte d'Ivoire13.1m#12 · 202567.1%#11 · 202559.5%#13 · 202565.5%#8 · 20252.3%#39 · 20252.6%#38 · 20254.0%#37 · 202518.8%#30 · 2022
Morocco12.6m#13 · 202543.9%#40 · 202519.7%#43 · 202540.0%#37 · 20259.0%#15 · 202510.6%#14 · 202521.9%#12 · 2025—
Cameroon11.5m#14 · 202565.2%#15 · 202556.6%#17 · 202562.8%#12 · 20253.6%#30 · 20254.1%#27 · 20256.5%#33 · 202523.2%#25 · 2021
Venezuela11.1m#15 · 202551.9%#35 · 202537.1%#34 · 202549.2%#33 · 20255.3%#21 · 20255.8%#23 · 202510.4%#23 · 202537.1%#6 · 2020
Cambodia10.4m#16 · 202582.4%#4 · 202577.4%#4 · 202582.2%#3 · 20250.3%#46 · 20250.2%#46 · 20250.7%#46 · 20259.7%#40 · 2025
Nepal8.4m#17 · 202539.2%#43 · 202527.5%#36 · 202535.1%#42 · 202510.5%#11 · 202511.8%#13 · 202520.6%#13 · 202534.8%#9 · 2017
Zambia8.0m#18 · 202561.9%#18 · 202556.4%#18 · 202558.3%#16 · 20255.9%#18 · 20256.2%#22 · 202510.5%#22 · 202526.7%#19 · 2024
Bolivia7.0m#19 · 202578.6%#5 · 202572.9%#6 · 202576.3%#5 · 20253.0%#36 · 20253.3%#35 · 20255.0%#36 · 20258.0%#41 · 2025
Zimbabwe6.9m#20 · 202567.7%#9 · 202562.2%#10 · 202561.4%#15 · 20259.3%#13 · 20259.4%#15 · 202515.5%#17 · 202528.8%#16 · 2025
Benin6.6m#21 · 202576.4%#6 · 202575.2%#5 · 202575.1%#6 · 20251.6%#42 · 20251.4%#44 · 20252.9%#42 · 202514.2%#37 · 2022
Senegal6.1m#22 · 202552.0%#34 · 202538.2%#33 · 202550.6%#30 · 20252.7%#37 · 20253.1%#37 · 20253.6%#40 · 202534.3%#11 · 2025
Haiti5.3m#23 · 202563.9%#17 · 202558.3%#14 · 202554.4%#23 · 202514.9%#8 · 202518.0%#8 · 202537.5%#6 · 2025—
Guinea4.7m#24 · 202552.6%#31 · 202542.6%#28 · 202549.9%#31 · 20255.2%#22 · 20255.0%#25 · 20257.0%#32 · 202534.3%#10 · 2019
Honduras4.3m#25 · 202556.6%#27 · 202539.6%#31 · 202553.8%#25 · 20254.9%#25 · 20256.4%#20 · 20258.5%#30 · 202529.0%#15 · 2025
Tunisia4.3m#26 · 202545.2%#37 · 202526.5%#37 · 202538.4%#39 · 202515.1%#7 · 202520.4%#5 · 202538.1%#4 · 202522.6%#26 · 2023
Papua New Guinea3.7m#27 · 202552.1%#33 · 202550.8%#23 · 202550.7%#29 · 20252.6%#38 · 20252.1%#40 · 20253.8%#38 · 202527.7%#18 · 2022
Laos3.7m#28 · 202566.1%#13 · 202561.6%#12 · 202565.3%#9 · 20251.2%#45 · 20250.9%#45 · 20252.4%#44 · 202522.5%#27 · 2022
Nicaragua3.3m#29 · 202566.1%#14 · 202551.3%#22 · 202562.7%#13 · 20255.0%#24 · 20255.2%#24 · 20259.5%#26 · 2025—
Togo3.0m#30 · 202557.8%#23 · 202556.6%#16 · 202556.7%#18 · 20252.0%#40 · 20252.0%#41 · 20253.4%#41 · 202513.0%#38 · 2022
Kyrgyzstan2.9m#31 · 202557.4%#25 · 202544.1%#27 · 202555.3%#20 · 20253.5%#31 · 20254.0%#30 · 20258.2%#31 · 202519.3%#29 · 2023
Tajikistan2.6m#32 · 202538.3%#44 · 202521.9%#42 · 202535.6%#41 · 20256.9%#16 · 20254.0%#31 · 202514.6%#19 · 202541.3%#4 · 2016
Republic of the Congo2.6m#33 · 202567.8%#8 · 202565.6%#8 · 202554.3%#24 · 202519.9%#4 · 202521.1%#4 · 202540.5%#3 · 2025—
Lebanon1.8m#34 · 202343.4%#41 · 202322.2%#41 · 202338.7%#38 · 202311.0%#10 · 202314.5%#11 · 202322.7%#11 · 202323.5%#24 · 2019
West Bank and Gaza1.4m#35 · 202245.0%#38 · 202218.9%#45 · 202234.0%#43 · 202224.4%#3 · 202240.0%#1 · 202236.1%#7 · 202225.8%#20 · 2025
Mauritania1.2m#36 · 202540.8%#42 · 202526.2%#38 · 202536.6%#40 · 202510.3%#12 · 202514.7%#10 · 202522.9%#10 · 202544.1%#2 · 2019
Namibia1.2m#37 · 202558.8%#19 · 202554.9%#20 · 202547.5%#35 · 202519.3%#5 · 202518.4%#7 · 202538.0%#5 · 202531.6%#12 · 2023
Lesotho889,530#38 · 202557.1%#26 · 202548.1%#25 · 202547.8%#34 · 202516.3%#6 · 202518.4%#6 · 202524.7%#9 · 202538.0%#5 · 2024
Timor-Leste635,489#39 · 202567.0%#12 · 202561.7%#11 · 202565.9%#7 · 20251.6%#41 · 20251.6%#42 · 20253.7%#39 · 202529.1%#14 · 2022
Solomon Islands448,502#40 · 202584.3%#1 · 202582.3%#1 · 202583.1%#1 · 20251.4%#44 · 20251.4%#43 · 20252.8%#43 · 2025—
Eswatini430,869#41 · 202551.2%#36 · 202548.5%#24 · 202533.7%#44 · 202534.2%#1 · 202536.0%#2 · 202554.3%#2 · 202536.5%#7 · 2023
Bhutan411,263#42 · 202564.8%#16 · 202556.7%#15 · 202562.7%#14 · 20253.2%#32 · 20254.1%#29 · 202517.1%#15 · 202515.3%#34 · 2025
Comoros310,841#43 · 202555.8%#28 · 202547.6%#26 · 202553.6%#26 · 20253.8%#28 · 20254.4%#26 · 20258.8%#29 · 202521.2%#28 · 2021
Djibouti267,610#44 · 202531.7%#45 · 202519.4%#44 · 202523.5%#45 · 202526.0%#2 · 202535.4%#3 · 202576.8%#1 · 202544.0%#3 · 2025
Vanuatu120,833#45 · 202558.1%#22 · 202553.3%#21 · 202555.2%#21 · 20255.1%#23 · 20256.2%#21 · 202511.3%#21 · 202529.3%#13 · 2025
São Tomé and Príncipe35,075#46 · 202523.3%#46 · 202522.7%#40 · 202521.2%#46 · 20259.1%#14 · 20259.3%#16 · 20258.8%#28 · 202545.5%#1 · 2017
Kiribati———————35.4%#8 · 2023
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)Ranks count group members with a value in the recent window.
within the group

Highest and lowest, indicator by indicator

Labour force46 countries
  1. 1India618m2025
  2. 2Nigeria117m2025
  3. 3Pakistan85.2m2025
Lowest
  1. 46São Tomé and Príncipe35,0752025
  2. 45Vanuatu120,8332025
  3. 44Djibouti267,6102025
Median country 5.0m · group 1.2bn
Participation rate46 countries
  1. 1Solomon Islands84.3%2025
  2. 2Tanzania83.7%2025
  3. 3Nigeria82.5%2025
Lowest
  1. 46São Tomé and Príncipe23.3%2025
  2. 45Djibouti31.7%2025
  3. 44Tajikistan38.3%2025
Median country 57.7% · group 58.2%
Women's participation46 countries
  1. 1Solomon Islands82.3%2025
  2. 2Nigeria80.7%2025
  3. 3Tanzania80.3%2025
Lowest
  1. 46Egypt18.5%2025
  2. 45West Bank and Gaza18.9%2022
  3. 44Djibouti19.4%2025
Median country 49.7% · group 39.2%
Employment rate46 countries
  1. 1Solomon Islands83.1%2025
  2. 2Tanzania82.4%2025
  3. 3Cambodia82.2%2025
Lowest
  1. 46São Tomé and Príncipe21.2%2025
  2. 45Djibouti23.5%2025
  3. 44Eswatini33.7%2025
Median country 54.4% · group 55.6%
Unemployment46 countries
  1. 1Eswatini34.2%2025
  2. 2Djibouti26.0%2025
  3. 3West Bank and Gaza24.4%2022
Lowest
  1. 46Cambodia0.3%2025
  2. 45Laos1.2%2025
  3. 44Solomon Islands1.4%2025
Median country 5.1% · group 4.5%
Female unemployment46 countries
  1. 1West Bank and Gaza40.0%2022
  2. 2Eswatini36.0%2025
  3. 3Djibouti35.4%2025
Lowest
  1. 46Cambodia0.2%2025
  2. 45Laos0.9%2025
  3. 44Benin1.4%2025
Median country 5.5% · group 4.9%
Youth unemployment46 countries
  1. 1Djibouti76.8%2025
  2. 2Eswatini54.3%2025
  3. 3Republic of the Congo40.5%2025
Lowest
  1. 46Cambodia0.7%2025
  2. 45Tanzania2.4%2025
  3. 44Laos2.4%2025
Median country 10.1% · group 13.1%
Youth NEET rate41 countries
  1. 1São Tomé and Príncipe45.5%2017
  2. 2Mauritania44.1%2019
  3. 3Djibouti44.0%2025
Lowest
  1. 41Bolivia8.0%2025
  2. 40Cambodia9.7%2025
  3. 39Nigeria11.9%2024
Median country 25.6% · group 21.8%
Wage workers46 countries
  1. 1West Bank and Gaza76.2%2022
  2. 2Tunisia75.1%2025
  3. 3Egypt73.0%2025
Lowest
  1. 46Nigeria13.8%2025
  2. 45Tanzania14.7%2025
  3. 44Guinea18.1%2025
Median country 35.4% · group 29.6%
Vulnerable employment46 countries
  1. 1Tanzania83.7%2025
  2. 2Guinea79.2%2025
  3. 3Benin78.5%2025
Lowest
  1. 46Tunisia17.9%2025
  2. 45West Bank and Gaza18.4%2022
  3. 44Lebanon19.4%2023
Median country 59.3% · group 65.5%
Jobs in agriculture46 countries
  1. 1Laos68.6%2025
  2. 2Tanzania64.6%2025
  3. 3Zambia54.5%2025
Lowest
  1. 46Djibouti1.2%2025
  2. 45Lebanon3.5%2023
  3. 44West Bank and Gaza6.3%2022
Median country 35.4% · group 39.8%
Jobs in industry46 countries
  1. 1Tunisia33.3%2025
  2. 2Lesotho33.0%2025
  3. 3Nepal31.3%2025
Lowest
  1. 46Timor-Leste3.8%2025
  2. 45Djibouti6.7%2025
  3. 44Angola7.2%2025
Median country 17.8% · group 22.4%
Jobs in services46 countries
  1. 1Djibouti92.2%2025
  2. 2Lebanon76.4%2023
  3. 3Venezuela74.4%2025
Lowest
  1. 46Laos24.0%2025
  2. 45Tanzania27.3%2025
  3. 44India32.6%2025
Median country 46.5% · group 37.8%
more

Other topics in lower-middle-income countries

Lower-middle income: overview
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