Inactivity rate (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+) in Hong Kong
Hong Kong: Inactivity rate (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+) was 43.01 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Inactivity rate (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Hong Kong, 2014–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, inactivity rate (current ilo definition - icls19) in Hong Kong stood at 43.01.
The figure is up 10.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, inactivity rate (current ilo definition - icls19) in Hong Kong peaked at 43.03 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 38.73, in 2018.
That places Hong Kong 20th out of 71 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.
Inactivity rate (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+) in Hong Kong, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 38.94 | — |
| 2015 | 38.86 | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 38.95 | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 38.88 | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 38.73 | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 39.33 | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 40.29 | +2.4% |
| 2021 | 40.62 | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 41.79 | +2.9% |
| 2023 | 42.67 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | 43.03 | +0.8% |
| 2025 | 43.01 | -0.0% |
Hong Kong compared with similar countries
- Hong Kong's 43.01 is above the median for high income countries, which is 37.56, 1.1× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Hong Kong's 43.01 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 35.08, 1.2× the median. (9 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 38.95 | 38.73 | 39.33 | 6 |
| 2020s | 41.9 | 40.29 | 43.03 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Hong Kong
More gender data for Hong Kong
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 638.47 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -3.43 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 6,614 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 6,614 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate -0.1704 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 19,031 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 20,496 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 19,442 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 20,967 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 19,926 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is inactivity rate (current ilo definition - icls19) in Hong Kong?
- Inactivity rate (current ilo definition - icls19) in Hong Kong was 43.01 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest inactivity rate (current ilo definition - icls19) recorded in Hong Kong?
- The highest recorded value was 43.03 in 2024.
- What is the lowest inactivity rate (current ilo definition - icls19) recorded in Hong Kong?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.73 in 2018.
- How does Hong Kong rank for inactivity rate (current ilo definition - icls19)?
- Hong Kong ranks 20th out of 71 countries with data for 2025.
- Is inactivity rate (current ilo definition - icls19) rising or falling in Hong Kong?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.7%. 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, published as part of Inactivity rate (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series includes only countries for which the 19th ICLS definitions are applied. This indicator conveys the number of persons of working age outside the labour force (that is, not employed or unemployed) expressed as a percentage of the working-age population. For more information, refer to the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database description.