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Labor force with basic education in United States

United States: Labor force with basic education was 42.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
42.8%
Change on year
down 3.4%
World rank
77th
of 123 countries
All-time high
44.4%
in 2024
All-time low
35.4%
in 1994
Years of data
32
1994–2025

Labor force with basic education in United States, 1994–2025

0102030401994200920251994: 35.4 % of total working-age population with basic education1995: 36.1 % of total working-age population with basic education1996: 36.5 % of total working-age population with basic education1997: 37.7 % of total working-age population with basic education1998: 37.8 % of total working-age population with basic education1999: 38 % of total working-age population with basic education2000: 40.1 % of total working-age population with basic education2001: 40.2 % of total working-age population with basic education2002: 40.6 % of total working-age population with basic education2003: 40.9 % of total working-age population with basic education2004: 41.3 % of total working-age population with basic education2005: 41.3 % of total working-age population with basic education2006: 42.1 % of total working-age population with basic education2007: 42.5 % of total working-age population with basic education2008: 42 % of total working-age population with basic education2009: 42 % of total working-age population with basic education2010: 41.9 % of total working-age population with basic education2011: 40.9 % of total working-age population with basic education2012: 40.9 % of total working-age population with basic education2013: 40.8 % of total working-age population with basic education2014: 40.8 % of total working-age population with basic education2015: 41 % of total working-age population with basic education2016: 41.3 % of total working-age population with basic education2017: 41.4 % of total working-age population with basic education2018: 42 % of total working-age population with basic education2019: 42.2 % of total working-age population with basic education2020: 41 % of total working-age population with basic education2021: 41.8 % of total working-age population with basic education2022: 42.6 % of total working-age population with basic education2023: 44.2 % of total working-age population with basic education2024: 44.4 % of total working-age population with basic education2025: 42.8 % of total working-age population with basic education

Source: Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO). Measured in % of total working-age population with basic education.

Analysis

United States recorded 42.8% for labor force with basic education in 2025.

The figure is down 3.4% on the previous year and up 4.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force with basic education in United States peaked at 44.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 35.4%, in 1994.

United States ranks 77th of 123 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 32 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 36.9% 35.4% 38.0% 6
2000s 41.3% 40.1% 42.5% 10
2010s 41.3% 40.8% 42.2% 10
2020s 42.8% 41.0% 44.4% 6

Countries ranked near United States

  1. 74 Palestine 44.1% compare
  2. 75 Brunei 43.7% compare
  3. 76 South Korea 43.6% compare
  4. 78 Jordan 42.4% compare
  5. 79 Seychelles 42.1% compare
  6. 80 Mongolia 41.9% compare

See the full ranking of 143 places →

More work & labour data for United States

All data for United States →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force with basic education in United States?
Labor force with basic education in United States was 42.8% in 2025, according to Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest labor force with basic education recorded in United States?
The highest recorded value was 44.4% in 2024.
What is the lowest labor force with basic education recorded in United States?
The lowest recorded value was 35.4% in 1994.
How does United States rank for labor force with basic education?
United States ranks 77th out of 123 countries with data for 2025.
Is labor force with basic education rising or falling in United States?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United States data come from?
The figures come from Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force with basic education (% of total working-age population with basic education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Labor force with basic education (% of total working-age population with basic education)
Unit
% of total working-age population with basic education
Source
Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
143 places, 2,669 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

The ratio of the labor force with basic education to the working-age population with basic education. Basic education comprises primary education or lower secondary education according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).