Labor force, total in Japan

Japan: Labor force, total was 69.48 million in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)
69.48 million
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
10th
of 186 countries
All-time high
69.50 million
in 2024
All-time low
64.17 million
in 1990
Years of data
36
1990–2025

Labor force, total in Japan, 1990–2025

020.0M40.0M60.0M1990200720251990: 64.2M1991: 65.3M1992: 66.2M1993: 66.6M1994: 66.9M1995: 67.1M1996: 67.6M1997: 68.2M1998: 68.2M1999: 68.0M2000: 67.8M2001: 67.6M2002: 67.1M2003: 66.8M2004: 66.5M2005: 66.6M2006: 66.7M2007: 66.8M2008: 66.6M2009: 66.3M2010: 66.1M2011: 65.7M2012: 65.4M2013: 65.6M2014: 65.8M2015: 65.9M2016: 66.5M2017: 67.1M2018: 68.2M2019: 68.8M2020: 68.7M2021: 68.6M2022: 68.9M2023: 69.2M2024: 69.5M2025: 69.5M

Source: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.

Analysis

The most recent figure for labor force, total in Japan is 69.48 million, measured in 2025.

The figure is up 5.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force, total in Japan peaked at 69.50 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 64.17 million, in 1990.

That places Japan 10th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 66.82 million 64.17 million 68.19 million 10
2000s 66.88 million 66.34 million 67.81 million 10
2010s 66.51 million 65.38 million 68.81 million 10
2020s 69.06 million 68.59 million 69.50 million 6

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 7 Pakistan 85.16 million compare
  2. 8 Bangladesh 74.74 million compare
  3. 9 Russia 72.77 million compare
  4. 11 Mexico 61.71 million compare
  5. 12 Vietnam 57.04 million compare
  6. 13 Ethiopia 56.78 million compare

See the full ranking of 234 places →

More education data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force, total in Japan?
Labor force, total in Japan was 69.48 million in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
What is the highest labor force, total recorded in Japan?
The highest recorded value was 69.50 million in 2024.
What is the lowest labor force, total recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 64.17 million in 1990.
How does Japan rank for labor force, total?
Japan ranks 10th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
Is labor force, total rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is up 5.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Japan 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.

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About this data

Indicator
Labor force, total
Source
International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
234 places, 8,410 data points, 1990–2025
Last refreshed

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.