Labor force, total in Hong Kong
Hong Kong: Labor force, total was 3.79 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, total in Hong Kong, 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
Analysis
The most recent figure for labor force, total in Hong Kong is 3.79 million, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 2.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, total in Hong Kong peaked at 4.00 million in 2018 and was at its lowest, 2.84 million, in 1990.
Hong Kong ranks 96th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.07 million | 2.84 million | 3.32 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.52 million | 3.36 million | 3.65 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.85 million | 3.63 million | 4.00 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.84 million | 3.79 million | 3.91 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Hong Kong
More education data for Hong Kong
- Population ages 15-64 66.0% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 10.3% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 103.2% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 28,284 (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 101.6% (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, male 104.7% (2024)
- Labor force, female 51.2% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index 1.04 GPI (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, total in Hong Kong?
- Labor force, total in Hong Kong was 3.79 million in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, total recorded in Hong Kong?
- The highest recorded value was 4.00 million in 2018.
- What is the lowest labor force, total recorded in Hong Kong?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.84 million in 1990.
- How does Hong Kong rank for labor force, total?
- Hong Kong ranks 96th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, total rising or falling in Hong Kong?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Hong Kong data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database, published as part of Labor force, total. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
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.