India - Labor force, total

The value for Labor force, total in India was 471,295,300 as of 2021. As the graph below shows, over the past 31 years this indicator reached a maximum value of 482,700,300 in 2019 and a minimum value of 315,629,300 in 1990.

Definition: 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.

Source: Derived using data from International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database and World Bank population estimates. Labor data retrieved in September 2019.

See also:

Year Value
1990 315,629,300
1991 322,784,200
1992 330,187,700
1993 337,902,600
1994 346,038,300
1995 353,772,100
1996 361,461,200
1997 369,433,900
1998 377,639,700
1999 386,013,200
2000 394,491,700
2001 404,464,300
2002 414,679,900
2003 425,076,800
2004 435,581,800
2005 446,152,600
2006 448,878,800
2007 451,318,700
2008 453,478,300
2009 455,403,700
2010 457,144,000
2011 457,496,400
2012 457,753,600
2013 461,045,400
2014 464,104,800
2015 466,842,700
2016 469,541,800
2017 471,675,700
2018 473,422,400
2019 482,700,300
2020 457,779,800
2021 471,295,300

Statistical Concept and Methodology: The labor force is the supply of labor available for producing goods and services in an economy. 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. Data are generated with World Bank population estimates and ILO estimates on labor force participation rate. The ILO estimates are harmonized to ensure comparability across countries and over time by accounting for differences in data source, scope of coverage, methodology, and other country-specific factors. The estimates are based mainly on nationally representative labor force surveys, with other sources (population censuses and nationally reported estimates) used only when no survey data are available.

Aggregation method: Sum

Periodicity: Annual

General Comments: Data up to 2016 are estimates while data from 2017 are projections.

Classification

Topic: Labor & Social Protection Indicators

Sub-Topic: Labor force structure