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Labour · World Bank region

Labour in South Asia: how the countries rank

Who works and who is looking for work, by ILO modelled estimates. 13 indicators for the 6 economies of South Asia, ranked within the group; the group figure is the World Bank aggregate.

Labour force710mSouth Asia, 2025 · world 3.7bnParticipation rate55.6%South Asia, 2025 · world 61.0%Women's participation33.0%South Asia, 2025 · world 48.9%Employment rate53.2%South Asia, 2025 · world 58.1%Unemployment4.2%South Asia, 2025 · world 4.8%Female unemployment4.2%South Asia, 2025 · world 4.9%Youth unemployment15.4%South Asia, 2025 · world 13.4%Youth NEET rate25.5%South Asia, 2025
Labour force
South AsiaWorldEast Asia & PacificEurope & Central AsiaLatin America & Caribbean
01.0bn2.0bn3.0bn4.0bn1995200020052010201520202025South Asia710mWorldEast Asia & PacificEurope & Central AsiaLatin America & Caribbean
Participation rate
South AsiaWorldEast Asia & PacificEurope & Central AsiaLatin America & Caribbean
50%60%70%80%1995200020052010201520202025South Asia55.6%WorldEast Asia & PacificEurope & Central AsiaLatin America & Caribbean
countries

All 6 economies, labour

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

6 shown
CountryLabour forceParticipation rateWomen's participationEmployment rateUnemploymentFemale unemploymentYouth unemploymentYouth NEET rate
India618m#1 · 202555.7%#4 · 202532.4%#4 · 202553.3%#4 · 20254.2%#3 · 20254.1%#3 · 202516.0%#4 · 202525.6%#3 · 2025
Bangladesh74.7m#2 · 202558.8%#3 · 202538.6%#3 · 202556.6%#3 · 20253.8%#5 · 20253.7%#6 · 20259.4%#6 · 202515.4%#5 · 2024
Nepal8.4m#3 · 202539.2%#6 · 202527.5%#6 · 202535.1%#6 · 202510.5%#1 · 202511.8%#1 · 202520.6%#1 · 202534.8%#1 · 2017
Sri Lanka8.3m#4 · 202548.5%#5 · 202531.0%#5 · 202546.6%#5 · 20254.0%#4 · 20256.5%#2 · 202518.6%#2 · 202517.2%#4 · 2024
Bhutan411,263#5 · 202564.8%#1 · 202556.7%#1 · 202562.7%#1 · 20253.2%#6 · 20254.1%#4 · 202517.1%#3 · 202515.3%#6 · 2025
Maldives272,320#6 · 202563.5%#2 · 202540.7%#2 · 202560.6%#2 · 20254.5%#2 · 20254.1%#5 · 202515.7%#5 · 202526.3%#2 · 2019
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 force6 countries
  1. 1India618m2025
  2. 2Bangladesh74.7m2025
  3. 3Nepal8.4m2025
Lowest
  1. 6Maldives272,3202025
  2. 5Bhutan411,2632025
  3. 4Sri Lanka8.3m2025
Median country 8.3m · group 710m
Participation rate6 countries
  1. 1Bhutan64.8%2025
  2. 2Maldives63.5%2025
  3. 3Bangladesh58.8%2025
Lowest
  1. 6Nepal39.2%2025
  2. 5Sri Lanka48.5%2025
  3. 4India55.7%2025
Median country 57.2% · group 55.6%
Women's participation6 countries
  1. 1Bhutan56.7%2025
  2. 2Maldives40.7%2025
  3. 3Bangladesh38.6%2025
Lowest
  1. 6Nepal27.5%2025
  2. 5Sri Lanka31.0%2025
  3. 4India32.4%2025
Median country 35.5% · group 33.0%
Employment rate6 countries
  1. 1Bhutan62.7%2025
  2. 2Maldives60.6%2025
  3. 3Bangladesh56.6%2025
Lowest
  1. 6Nepal35.1%2025
  2. 5Sri Lanka46.6%2025
  3. 4India53.3%2025
Median country 54.9% · group 53.2%
Unemployment6 countries
  1. 1Nepal10.5%2025
  2. 2Maldives4.5%2025
  3. 3India4.2%2025
Lowest
  1. 6Bhutan3.2%2025
  2. 5Bangladesh3.8%2025
  3. 4Sri Lanka4.0%2025
Median country 4.1% · group 4.2%
Female unemployment6 countries
  1. 1Nepal11.8%2025
  2. 2Sri Lanka6.5%2025
  3. 3India4.1%2025
Lowest
  1. 6Bangladesh3.7%2025
  2. 5Maldives4.1%2025
  3. 4Bhutan4.1%2025
Median country 4.1% · group 4.2%
Youth unemployment6 countries
  1. 1Nepal20.6%2025
  2. 2Sri Lanka18.6%2025
  3. 3Bhutan17.1%2025
Lowest
  1. 6Bangladesh9.4%2025
  2. 5Maldives15.7%2025
  3. 4India16.0%2025
Median country 16.5% · group 15.4%
Youth NEET rate6 countries
  1. 1Nepal34.8%2017
  2. 2Maldives26.3%2019
  3. 3India25.6%2025
Lowest
  1. 6Bhutan15.3%2025
  2. 5Bangladesh15.4%2024
  3. 4Sri Lanka17.2%2024
Median country 21.4% · group 25.5%
Wage workers6 countries
  1. 1Maldives80.0%2025
  2. 2Sri Lanka57.9%2025
  3. 3Bangladesh39.0%2025
Lowest
  1. 6Nepal21.4%2025
  2. 5India25.1%2025
  3. 4Bhutan30.5%2025
Median country 34.7% · group 26.9%
Vulnerable employment6 countries
  1. 1Nepal77.0%2025
  2. 2India71.6%2025
  3. 3Bhutan69.0%2025
Lowest
  1. 6Maldives16.9%2025
  2. 5Sri Lanka39.2%2025
  3. 4Bangladesh57.3%2025
Median country 63.2% · group 69.7%
Jobs in agriculture6 countries
  1. 1Bangladesh44.3%2025
  2. 2Bhutan42.4%2025
  3. 3India41.6%2025
Lowest
  1. 6Maldives11.3%2025
  2. 5Nepal22.9%2025
  3. 4Sri Lanka25.9%2025
Median country 33.7% · group 41.5%
Jobs in industry6 countries
  1. 1Nepal31.3%2025
  2. 2Sri Lanka26.3%2025
  3. 3India25.8%2025
Lowest
  1. 6Bhutan15.9%2025
  2. 5Maldives16.9%2025
  3. 4Bangladesh18.0%2025
Median country 21.9% · group 25.1%
Jobs in services6 countries
  1. 1Maldives71.8%2025
  2. 2Sri Lanka47.8%2025
  3. 3Nepal45.8%2025
Lowest
  1. 6India32.6%2025
  2. 5Bangladesh37.7%2025
  3. 4Bhutan41.8%2025
Median country 43.8% · group 33.4%
more

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