Labor force, total in Madagascar

Madagascar: Labor force, total was 17.09 million in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
17.09 million
Change on year
up 3.0%
World rank
40th
of 186 countries
All-time high
17.09 million
in 2025
All-time low
5.62 million
in 1990
Years of data
36
1990–2025

Labor force, total in Madagascar, 1990–2025

5.0M7.5M10.0M12.5M15.0M17.5M1990200720251990: 5.6M1991: 5.8M1992: 6.0M1993: 6.2M1994: 6.4M1995: 6.6M1996: 6.8M1997: 7.1M1998: 7.3M1999: 7.5M2000: 7.8M2001: 8.0M2002: 8.3M2003: 8.5M2004: 8.8M2005: 9.1M2006: 9.4M2007: 9.7M2008: 10.0M2009: 10.4M2010: 10.7M2011: 11.1M2012: 11.5M2013: 11.9M2014: 12.3M2015: 12.7M2016: 13.1M2017: 13.5M2018: 13.9M2019: 14.3M2020: 14.6M2021: 15.1M2022: 15.6M2023: 16.1M2024: 16.6M2025: 17.1M

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

Analysis

Madagascar recorded 17.09 million for labor force, total in 2025. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.0% on the previous year and up 34.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force, total in Madagascar peaked at 17.09 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 5.62 million, in 1990.

That places Madagascar 40th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 6.54 million 5.62 million 7.53 million 10
2000s 9.00 million 7.78 million 10.38 million 10
2010s 12.50 million 10.74 million 14.30 million 10
2020s 15.86 million 14.60 million 17.09 million 6

Countries ranked near Madagascar

  1. 37 Saudi Arabia 18.38 million compare
  2. 38 Poland 18.17 million compare
  3. 39 North Korea 17.70 million compare
  4. 41 Angola 16.32 million compare
  5. 42 Mozambique 15.66 million compare
  6. 43 Australia 15.13 million compare

See the full ranking of 234 places →

More education data for Madagascar

All data for Madagascar →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force, total in Madagascar?
Labor force, total in Madagascar was 17.09 million in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
What is the highest labor force, total recorded in Madagascar?
The highest recorded value was 17.09 million in 2025.
What is the lowest labor force, total recorded in Madagascar?
The lowest recorded value was 5.62 million in 1990.
How does Madagascar rank for labor force, total?
Madagascar ranks 40th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
Is labor force, total rising or falling in Madagascar?
Over the last ten years it is up 34.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Madagascar 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.