Countries With the Highest Working Age Populations
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Key Takeaways:
- Qatar has the highest share of working-age people at 83.3%, followed by the UAE at 82.0%.
- Six Gulf Cooperation Council countries appear among the top 15, including four of the top five.
- The Maldives is the highest-ranked country outside the Gulf, with 75.6% of its population between ages 15 and 64.
Working-age population measures the share of people ages 15–64, including both economically active and inactive people. A large working-age population can give countries a substantial pool of potential workers, though it should not be confused with employment or labor force participation.
This graphic, created by Harris Saleem, ranks countries with the highest working-age population shares using 2025 data from Worldostats. The age range follows the OECD definition of working-age population.
Which Countries Have the Largest Working-Age Shares?
The table below shows the 15 countries with the highest working-age population percentages.
| Rank | Country | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Qatar |
83.3% |
| 2 |  UAE |
82.0% |
| 3 |  Kuwait |
78.4% |
| 4 |  Bahrain |
77.4% |
| 5 |  Maldives |
75.6% |
| 6 |  Singapore |
75.2% |
| 7 |  Saudi Arabia |
73.1% |
| 8 |  Jamaica |
73.0% |
| 9 |  Brunei |
72.5% |
| 10 |  Bhutan |
72.2% |
| 11 |  Oman |
72.1% |
| 12 |  South Korea |
70.7% |
| 13 |  Malaysia |
70.3% |
| 14 |  Thailand |
70.2% |
| 15 |  Azerbaijan |
69.7% |
The ranking has a clear geographic pattern, with six of the 15 countries located in the Gulf. Qatar and the UAE occupy the top two spots, while Kuwait and Bahrain also rank among the top five.
Why Gulf Countries Dominate the Ranking
Migration is a major factor behind the region’s high percentages. Gulf economies have long attracted large numbers of foreign workers, many of whom migrate specifically for employment and therefore fall within prime working-age years. This helps explain why Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Oman all make the top 15.
In Qatar, foreign workers remain central to the economy even as the government pursues “Qatarization” policies intended to increase nationals’ participation in the workforce. An Economic Research Forum analysis notes that the country’s national population is not large enough to replace its foreign workforce at scale.
Asia Also Features Prominently
Outside the Gulf, the Maldives ranks fifth at 75.6%, narrowly ahead of Singapore at 75.2%. Both countries stand out among a ranking otherwise heavily concentrated in Gulf states.
South Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand also make the top 15, though their shares sit closer to 70%. Over time, aging could put downward pressure on working-age shares in some countries as larger cohorts move into retirement.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
To explore another side of global demographic trends, see The 25 Best Countries to Retire in 2025 on the Voronoi app.
- Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/ranked-countries-with-the-highest-working-age-populations/
