UK participation rate: aged 15 and over
UK participation rate: aged 15 and over stood at 62.84% in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILOSTAT). It is one of the indicators in the Labour force, ILO annual table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 1966 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Labour force, ILO annual table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participation rate, Both sexes | |||||||||||
| Aged 15 and over | 62.84 | 62.04 | 62.23 | 62.22 | 62.2 | 62.83 | 62.94 | 62.89 | 62.7 | 62.72 | |
| Aged 15 to 24 | 54.53 | 52.69 | 53.73 | 54.43 | 51.32 | 54.77 | 54.79 | 56.35 | 56.71 | 57.26 |
Understanding UK participation rate: aged 15 and over
This series measures the proportion of the population aged 15 and over in the United Kingdom that constitutes the total labour force, encompassing both employed and unemployed individuals across all adult age groups for both sexes. By capturing everyone from minimum working age upward without an upper limit, it serves as the broad baseline against which narrower age and gender slices are benchmarked, deliberately omitting children below working age while including students, retirees, and institutional residents who satisfy international definitions of economic activity. It differs from sibling measures by aggregating across all demographics rather than isolating specific generational cohorts.
Interpreting this broad indicator requires caution regarding structural shifts in longevity and educational enrolment, which gradually alter the denominator over long horizons without necessarily reflecting short-term cyclical conditions. Annual figures smooth out seasonal hiring fluctuations inherent in high-frequency monthly trackers, yet they can obscure swift turning points during economic shocks. Revisions often stem from population rebasing exercises linked to census updates rather than direct survey modifications. Analysts should avoid treating this aggregate as a direct proxy for prime-age engagement, because heavy weighting at the older and younger margins can mask underlying strength or weakness in core working cohorts.
Frequently asked questions
- Why does this series include individuals aged 15 when compulsory schooling usually ends later?
- International labour organisation standards mandate a lower age threshold of 15 for cross-country comparability, despite national differences in school-leaving ages.
- Does this measure account for retired individuals who occasionally take up casual tasks?
- Anyone performing even one hour of paid work per week, or actively seeking and available for work, is counted in the labour force regardless of retirement status.
- How do population census rebasing exercises affect this rate?
- Population revisions alter the denominator of the percentage calculation, occasionally creating step changes in the historical series independent of actual behavioural shifts.