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Employment rate, ages 15+

The UK ranks 9th of 28 on Employment rate, ages 15+ (2024)

The UK ranks 9th of 28 on Employment rate, ages 15+ in 2024: 58.9, unit % of population aged 15+, against an EU27 median of 57.4. Source: ILOSTAT (International Labour Organization), DF_EMP_2WAP_SEX_AGE_RT, snapshot of 6 November 2026.

Share of people aged 15 and over in employment (ILO modelled estimates).

Caveat. ILO publishes 15+, not 15–64; differs from national 15–64 headline rates

The UK

Employment rate, ages 15+

58.9% of population aged 15+(2024)

9th of 28Moved down 6 places from 2016 to 2024.
EU27 median
57.4 % of population aged 15+
UK minus EU27 median
+1.5 % of population aged 15+

League table

Values in % of population aged 15+. Countries ranked by value, 1 = top of the table, 28 with a value.

Employment rate, ages 15+, 2024: league table of countries
1Netherlands65.02024
2Cyprus63.92024
3Ireland62.22024
4Malta62.22024
5Denmark61.62024
6Estonia60.52024
7Sweden59.32024
8Czechia59.02024
9United KingdomUK58.92024
10Germany58.82024
11Lithuania58.82024
12Hungary57.92024
13Luxembourg57.82024
14Slovakia57.62024
15Austria57.42024
16Poland57.02024
17Latvia56.62024
18Slovenia55.82024
19Finland54.82024
20Portugal54.62024
21Bulgaria53.92024
22France51.52024
23Belgium51.42024
24Spain51.22024
25Croatia49.72024
26Romania48.72024
27Greece47.12024
28Italy46.42024

Trend, 2000 to 2024

Employment rate, ages 15+, 2000 to 2024Line chart, 2000 to 2024: the UK (heavy ink line), Germany, France, Italy and Spain (solid lines), and reference countries (faint lines). Dotted segments are IMF projections and are not ranked. Shaded bands and markers show events.% of population aged 15+5060200020052010201520202025123Australia64Switzerland64Japan62Norway63Canada61United States59United Kingdom59Germany59Spain51France52Italy46Employment rate, ages 15+, 2000 to 2024Line chart, 2000 to 2024: the UK (heavy ink line), Germany, France, Italy and Spain (solid lines), and reference countries (faint lines). Dotted segments are IMF projections and are not ranked. Shaded bands and markers show events.% of population aged 15+5060200020102020123AustraliaSwitzerlandJapanNorwayCanadaUnited StatesUnited KingdomGermanySpainFranceItaly
  • Heavy ink line: United Kingdom
  • France
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Thin grey lines, reference countries (not the big four): Australia, Canada, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, United States
  • Dotted: IMF projections, not ranked
  • Shaded: 2008–09 financial crisis
  • Shaded: 2020–21 Covid-19 pandemic
  • Shaded: 2022–23 energy price shock
  • Marker 1: EU referendum (23 June 2016)
  • Marker 2: UK leaves the EU (31 January 2020)
  • Marker 3: Transition period ends; Trade and Cooperation Agreement in force (1 January 2021)
Trends show what happened, not why; Covid, energy prices and policy changes overlap the same years. Dotted lines are projections and are not ranked.

UK rank over time

Rank 1 is the top of the table; the line is drawn with rank 1 at the top. Each year is ranked on that year's values.

UK rank, 2000 to 2024: 6th to 9th3rd6th9th20002005201020152020June 20169thUK rank, 2000 to 2024: 6th to 9th3rd6th9th200020102020June 20169th

2000: 6th · 2024: 9th

Sources and method

Share of people aged 15 and over in employment (ILO modelled estimates).

Source: ILOSTAT (International Labour Organization) · series DF_EMP_2WAP_SEX_AGE_RT· vintage ILO LAST_UPDATE 2025-12-02 · fetched 2026-11-06

Source: ILO, ILOSTAT, DF_EMP_2WAP_SEX_AGE_RT (ILO modelled estimates; CC BY 4.0); accessed 2026-11-06. Adapted by UK EU Ranked.

Licence: CC BY 4.0 for ILO databases and datasets published from 3 May 2023; older datasets are not automatically covered and should be checked per dataset (ILO Rights and permissions).