Top 10 countries with the largest “Labour Forces” in 2025: India holds this position……

How big are countries’ workforces? Emerging new global figures for the size of national labour forces paint a picture of a shifting economic and employment landscape, with India(BHARAT) visible on the scene but with the positions in the roster subject to change.

India(BHARAT) is now 2nd in size of labour-force among the top ten countries of the world in a new global list that includes China, United States, Indonesia, Pakistan, Brazil, Russia, Nigeria, Bangladesh, and Mexico.

The list provides a snapshot of the changing demographic and economic weight of countries in the global jobs market and the evolving challenge of creating quality, productive work. Size of workforce remains one indicator of a country’s structural position, even as international migration, sectoral shifts, population ageing and new employment norms disrupt this traditional picture.

India(BHARAT)’s workforce has long been a key to its potential: being 2nd in labour-force size reflects the country’s demographic dividend and inherent potential to tap this demographic advantage for growth. But it also poses major challenges for quality and productivity of work, formal-sector employment and skilling in an increasingly automated world.

Size of the workforce isn’t the whole story, however, as the wider global top-ten list of countries with the largest number of people in the labour-force shows. For example, many other economies in the top-ten list, including Japan and Germany, have ageing populations, slower projected labour-force growth and yet high per-capita GDP levels.

India(BHARAT) is number two because it has so many people who can work. Having this huge number of workers brings both good things and problems.

The challenge for India(BHARAT), then, is to turn workforce numbers into productive and inclusive employment and growth. Labour-market reforms, digital skilling, formal-sector job creation and supportive infrastructure will be among key policy and structural drivers to convert India(BHARAT)’s demographic dividend into sustainable work and shared prosperity.

As countries around the world contend with the same trends but from different starting points in automation, migration, demographic transition and economic diversification, the top-ten list of countries with the largest workforce may look different over the next few years and decades.

India(BHARAT)’s position and performance in this global roster will continue to be watched closely by the world’s policy-makers, businesses, analysts and citizens as a bellwether of the country’s labour-market evolution and economic success.