Ranked: The World’s 20 Largest Labor Forces, by Country
Description
Ranked: Largest Labor Forces by Country
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Key Takeaways
- Asia dominates the global workforce, led by China and India, which together account for over 1.3 billion workers.
- The United States leads among developed economies, with a labor force exceeding 174 million people.
The world’s labor force—the total number of people either working or actively seeking work—reveals much about global demographics and economic potential.
This visualization ranks the largest labor forces by country, highlighting where most of the world’s workers are located. The data for this graphic comes from the World Bank.
Asia Dominates the Global Workforce
Asia is home to the world’s two largest labor forces: China (774 million) and India (608 million). Combined, they represent more than 40% of all workers globally, underscoring Asia’s importance to global manufacturing and services.
Other Asian economies—like Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Vietnam—each add tens of millions more workers, reinforcing the region’s economic weight.
| Rank | Country | Labor Force |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  China | 773,879,678 |
| 2 |  India | 607,691,498 |
| 3 |  United States | 174,173,594 |
| 4 |  Indonesia | 143,143,940 |
| 5 |  Nigeria | 113,349,564 |
| 6 |  Brazil | 106,790,403 |
| 7 |  Pakistan | 83,643,815 |
| 8 |  Bangladesh | 77,355,168 |
| 9 |  Russia | 72,516,535 |
| 10 |  Japan | 69,382,089 |
| 11 |  Mexico | 60,958,888 |
| 12 |  Vietnam | 57,133,476 |
| 13 |  Ethiopia | 54,470,278 |
| 14 |  Philippines | 50,979,290 |
| 15 |  Germany | 43,772,213 |
| 16 |  Thailand | 40,623,017 |
| 17 |  Congo, Dem. Rep. | 38,546,033 |
| 18 |  Türkiye | 36,080,817 |
| 19 |  United Kingdom | 35,358,530 |
| 20 |  Egypt | 33,748,776 |
The U.S. Leads Among Developed Economies
The United States has the world’s third-largest labor force at 174 million. Japan follows with 69 million workers, while Germany employs about 44 million. Despite aging demographics in other high-income nations, the U.S. continues to maintain a dynamic labor market supported by immigration and services-based industries.
Emerging Economies and Africa’s Growing Potential
Countries like Indonesia, Nigeria, Brazil, and Pakistan each boast over 75 million workers.
In particular, Africa’s workforce is expanding rapidly: Nigeria already ranks fifth, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo has surpassed 38 million workers. By 2050, Africa’s labor force could double, reshaping global trade and migration patterns.
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