Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) - Country Ranking - Asia

Definition: Employment to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed. Employment is defined as persons of working age who, during a short reference period, were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period (i.e. who worked in a job for at least one hour) or not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangements. Ages 15 and older are generally considered the working-age population.

Source: International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in September 2019.

See also: Thematic map, Time series comparison

Find indicator:
Rank Country Value Year
1 Qatar 95.27 2021
2 United Arab Emirates 85.91 2021
3 Cambodia 85.48 2021
4 Dem. People's Rep. Korea 83.99 2021
5 Oman 83.59 2021
6 Bahrain 82.72 2021
7 Kuwait 82.12 2021
8 Indonesia 77.82 2021
9 Vietnam 77.66 2021
10 Saudi Arabia 77.17 2021
11 Lao PDR 77.08 2021
12 Nepal 76.57 2021
13 Bangladesh 75.57 2021
14 Pakistan 74.84 2021
15 Singapore 74.23 2021
16 Malaysia 74.10 2021
17 Thailand 73.96 2021
18 Kazakhstan 72.22 2021
19 China 70.38 2021
20 Macao SAR, China 70.01 2021
21 Korea 69.90 2021
22 Timor-Leste 69.58 2021
23 Japan 68.90 2021
24 Myanmar 68.58 2021
25 Brunei 67.59 2021
26 Philippines 66.78 2021
27 Kyrgyz Republic 66.28 2021
28 Russia 66.24 2021
29 Sri Lanka 65.84 2021
30 Uzbekistan 65.78 2021
31 India 65.64 2021
32 Syrian Arab Republic 65.31 2021
33 Bhutan 65.05 2021
34 Azerbaijan 63.64 2021
35 Iraq 63.63 2021
36 Israel 62.68 2021
37 Mongolia 61.71 2021
38 Hong Kong SAR, China 61.68 2021
39 Iran 61.35 2021
40 Turkey 60.86 2021
41 Georgia 60.19 2021
42 Yemen 59.22 2021
43 Afghanistan 58.50 2021
44 Lebanon 55.88 2021
45 Turkmenistan 52.12 2021
46 Jordan 51.38 2021
47 Armenia 50.56 2021
48 Tajikistan 46.19 2021

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Development Relevance: Four targets were added to the UN Millennium Declaration at the 2005 World Summit High-Level Plenary Meeting of the 60th Session of the UN General Assembly. One was full and productive employment and decent work for all, which is seen as the main route for people to escape poverty. Employment to population ratio is a key measure to monitor whether a country is on track to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger by 2015. And it continues to be a priority in the Sustainable Development Goal of promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

Limitations and Exceptions: Data on employment by status are drawn from labor force surveys and household surveys, supplemented by official estimates and censuses for a small group of countries. The labor force survey is the most comprehensive source for internationally comparable employment, but there are still some limitations for comparing data across countries and over time even within a country. Comparability of employment ratios across countries is affected by variations in definitions of employment and population. The biggest difference results from the age range used to define labor force activity. The population base for employment ratios can also vary. Most countries use the resident, non-institutionalized population of working age living in private households, which excludes members of the armed forces and individuals residing in mental, penal, or other types of institutions. But some countries include members of the armed forces in the population base of their employment ratio while excluding them from employment data. The reference period of a census or survey is another important source of differences: in some countries data refer to people's status on the day of the census or survey or during a specific period before the inquiry date, while in others data are recorded without reference to any period. Employment ratios tend to vary during the year as seasonal workers enter and leave. This indicator also has a gender bias because women who do not consider their work employment or who are not perceived as working tend to be undercounted. This bias has different effects across countries and reflects demographic, social, legal, and cultural trends and norms.

Statistical Concept and Methodology: The employment to population ratio indicates how efficiently an economy provides jobs for people who want to work. A high ratio means that a large proportion of the population is employed. But a lower employment to population ratio can be seen as a positive sign, especially for young people, if it is caused by an increase in their education. The series is part of the ILO estimates and is 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: Weighted average

Periodicity: Annual

General Comments: National estimates are also available in the WDI database. Caution should be used when comparing ILO estimates with national estimates.