Labor Force Participation Rate 1998

Labor force participation rate measures the active workforce in each country. Explore rankings, compare nations, and view historical trends.

213 data points•Updated 3/28/2026•Global Coverage•CIA World Factbook•

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Complete Data Rankings

Rank
1	Afghanistan	NaN
2	Albania	NaN
3	Algeria	NaN
4	American Samoa	NaN
5	Andorra	NaN
6	Angola	NaN
7	Anguilla	NaN
8	Antigua and Barbuda	NaN
9	Argentina	NaN
10	Aruba	NaN
11	Australia	NaN
12	Austria	NaN
13	Azerbaijan	NaN
14	Bahamas	NaN
15	Bahrain	NaN
16	Bangladesh	NaN
17	Barbados	NaN
18	Belarus	NaN
19	Belgium	NaN
20	Belize	NaN
21	Benin	NaN
22	Bermuda	NaN
23	Bhutan	NaN
24	Bolivia	NaN
25	Bosnia and Herzegovina	NaN
26	Botswana	NaN
27	Brazil	NaN
28	British Virgin Islands	NaN
29	Brunei Darussalam	NaN
30	Bulgaria	NaN
31	Burkina Faso	NaN
32	Myanmar	NaN
33	Burundi	NaN
34	Cambodia	2.5
35	Cameroon	NaN
36	Canada	NaN
37	Cayman Islands	NaN
38	Central African Republic	NaN
39	Chad	NaN
40	Chile	NaN
41	China	NaN
42	Colombia	NaN
43	Comoros	NaN
44	Congo, Democratic Republic of the	NaN
45	Congo	NaN
46	Cook Islands	NaN
47	Costa Rica	NaN
48	Côte d'Ivoire	NaN
49	Croatia	NaN
50	Cuba	NaN
51	Cyprus	NaN
52	Czech Republic	NaN
53	Denmark	NaN
54	Djibouti	NaN
55	Dominica	NaN
56	Dominican Republic	2.3
57	Ecuador	NaN
58	Egypt	NaN
59	El Salvador	NaN
60	Equatorial Guinea	NaN
61	Eritrea	NaN
62	Estonia	NaN
63	Ethiopia	NaN
64	Falkland Islands (Malvinas)	NaN
65	Faroe Islands	NaN
66	Fiji	NaN
67	Finland	NaN
68	France	NaN
69	French Guiana	NaN
70	French Polynesia	NaN
71	Gabon	NaN
72	Gambia	NaN
73	Georgia	NaN
74	Germany	NaN
75	Ghana	NaN
76	Gibraltar	NaN
77	Greece	NaN
78	Greenland	NaN
79	Grenada	NaN
80	Guadeloupe	NaN
81	Guam	NaN
82	Guatemala	NaN
83	Guinea	NaN
84	Guinea-Bissau	480,000
85	Guyana	NaN
86	Haiti	NaN
87	Holy See	NaN
88	Honduras	NaN
89	Hungary	NaN
90	Iceland	NaN
91	India	NaN
92	Indonesia	NaN
93	Iran	NaN
94	Iraq	NaN
95	Ireland	NaN
96	Israel	NaN
97	Italy	NaN
98	Jamaica	NaN
99	Japan	NaN
100	Jordan	NaN
101	Kazakhstan	NaN
102	Kenya	NaN
103	Kiribati	NaN
104	North Korea	NaN
105	South Korea	NaN
106	Kuwait	NaN
107	Kyrgyzstan	NaN
108	Laos	1
109	Latvia	NaN
110	Lebanon	NaN
111	Lesotho	NaN
112	Liberia	NaN
113	Libya	NaN
114	Liechtenstein	NaN
115	Lithuania	NaN
116	Luxembourg	NaN
117	North Macedonia	NaN
118	Madagascar	NaN
119	Malawi	NaN
120	Malaysia	NaN
121	Maldives	NaN
122	Mali	NaN
123	Malta	NaN
124	Martinique	NaN
125	Mauritania	NaN
126	Mauritius	NaN
127	Mayotte	NaN
128	Mexico	NaN
129	Republic of Moldova	NaN
130	Monaco	NaN
131	Mongolia	NaN
132	Montserrat	NaN
133	Morocco	NaN
134	Mozambique	NaN
135	Namibia	NaN
136	Nauru	NaN
137	Nepal	NaN
138	Netherlands	NaN
139	New Caledonia	NaN
140	New Zealand	NaN
141	Nicaragua	NaN
142	Niger	NaN
143	Nigeria	NaN
144	Niue	NaN
145	Northern Mariana Islands	NaN
146	Norway	NaN
147	Oman	NaN
148	Pakistan	NaN
149	Panama	NaN
150	Papua New Guinea	NaN
151	Paraguay	NaN
152	Peru	NaN
153	Philippines	NaN
154	Poland	NaN
155	Portugal	NaN
156	Puerto Rico	NaN
157	Qatar	NaN
158	Réunion	NaN
159	Romania	NaN
160	Russia	NaN
161	Rwanda	NaN
162	Saint Helena	NaN
163	Saint Kitts and Nevis	NaN
164	Saint Lucia	NaN
165	Saint Pierre and Miquelon	NaN
166	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	NaN
167	Samoa	NaN
168	San Marino	NaN
169	Sao Tome and Principe	NaN
170	Saudi Arabia	7
171	Senegal	NaN
172	Seychelles	NaN
173	Sierra Leone	NaN
174	Singapore	NaN
175	Slovakia	NaN
176	Slovenia	NaN
177	Solomon Islands	NaN
178	Somalia	NaN
179	South Africa	NaN
180	Spain	NaN
181	Sri Lanka	NaN
182	Suriname	NaN
183	Eswatini	NaN
184	Sweden	NaN
185	Switzerland	NaN
186	Syrian Arab Republic	NaN
187	Taiwan	NaN
188	Tajikistan	NaN
189	Tanzania	NaN
190	Thailand	NaN
191	Togo	NaN
192	Tokelau	NaN
193	Tonga	NaN
194	Trinidad and Tobago	NaN
195	Tunisia	NaN
196	Turkmenistan	NaN
197	Turks and Caicos Islands	NaN
198	Tuvalu	NaN
199	Uganda	NaN
200	Ukraine	NaN
201	United Arab Emirates	NaN
202	United Kingdom	NaN
203	United States	NaN
204	Uruguay	NaN
205	Uzbekistan	NaN
206	Vanuatu	NaN
207	Venezuela	NaN
208	Vietnam	NaN
209	United States Virgin Islands	NaN
210	Wallis and Futuna Islands	NaN
211	Yemen	NaN
212	Zambia	NaN
213	Zimbabwe	NaN

↑Top 10 Countries

Analysis: These countries represent the highest values in this dataset, showcasing significant scale and impact on global statistics.

↓Bottom 10 Countries

Context: These countries or territories have the lowest values, often due to geographic size, administrative status, or specific characteristics.

Analysis & Context

In 1998, the country with the highest Labor Force Participation Rate was Guinea-Bissau with a staggering value of 480,000, while the minimum recorded was 1.00 in Laos. The global range for this year is significant, highlighting disparities in workforce engagement across nations. The average labor force participation rate globally was 96,002.56, providing a benchmark to understand these extremes.

Disparities in Labor Force Participation

The data for 1998 reveals a striking disparity in labor force participation rates. Guinea-Bissau leads with a rate of 480,000, an outlier when compared to other nations. This anomaly could be attributed to factors such as population size, economic structure, or data measurement differences. In contrast, countries like Laos with a rate of 1.00 and Cambodia at 2.5 represent the lower end of the spectrum. These figures suggest varying levels of economic development and workforce engagement, possibly influenced by employment opportunities, educational attainment, and social norms.

Economic and Policy Drivers

Economic and policy factors play a critical role in shaping labor force participation rates. For instance, Saudi Arabia, with a rate of 7, may reflect the country's economic diversification efforts and labor market reforms, which aim to increase workforce participation, particularly among women. Conversely, Dominican Republic and Laos with low participation rates could be affected by limited economic opportunities and traditional roles that restrict workforce engagement. These variations underscore the impact of national policies and economic strategies on labor force dynamics.

Year-over-Year Changes and Their Implications

The year-over-year changes in labor force participation rates provide insights into shifting economic landscapes. Notably, Saudi Arabia experienced a significant increase of 1.00 (16.7%), indicating potential policy shifts or economic initiatives aimed at boosting employment. In contrast, countries like Cambodia and Dominican Republic showed no change, suggesting stability or stagnation in labor force engagement. These trends highlight the importance of adaptive economic policies and the challenges faced by nations in enhancing workforce participation.

Global Average and Median Context

The global average labor force participation rate of 96,002.56 in 1998 offers a contextual benchmark against which individual country performances can be evaluated. The median value of 2.50 further emphasizes the skewed nature of the data, largely influenced by the outlier status of Guinea-Bissau. This disparity points to the need for more nuanced understanding and analysis of labor force participation, considering both quantitative measures and qualitative factors like socio-economic conditions and cultural norms.

Overall, the labor force participation rates in 1998 highlight significant global disparities and the multifaceted factors influencing workforce engagement. By examining economic, policy, and demographic drivers, we gain a deeper understanding of how different countries navigate the complexities of labor market participation.

Data Source

CIA World Factbook

The World Factbook, also known as the CIA World Factbook, was a reference resource produced by the US Central Intelligence Agency between 1962 and 2026 with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. From 1971 it was not classified, and available to the public in print since 1975, initially by the CIA, and later the Government Publishing Office.

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Historical Data by Year

Explore Labor Force Participation Rate data across different years. Compare trends and see how statistics have changed over time.

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