Economically Inactive population by reason for inactivity, age and sex

Source: UNECE Statistical Database, compiled from national official sources.

Definition: The economically inactive population includes all the persons who are not part of the labour force, i.e. are neither employed nor unemployed.

General note: Data come from the Labour Force Survey (LFS), unless otherwise specified.
Data are shown in thousands.

.. - data not available

Country: Armenia

For the period of 1995-2006 data are based on integrated data received from various sources.
Break in methodlogy (2007, 2014): from 2007 to 2013 data are based on the Integrated Survey of the Household Living Standards. Since 2014 data are based on the Labour Force Survey.
Break in series (2008): 2007 data refer to population aged 16-75. Since 2008, application of ILO methodology, data cover population aged 15-75.

Country: Austria

Data below the threshold of 3 000 persons are not published, while caution should be taken in interpreting data below the threshold of 6 000 persons.

Country: Austria

- Break in time series (Y2021): Break in series due to implementation of the new EU-regulations in 2021.
- Break in methodology (2004): Break in series due to change in data collection procedure.

Country: Bulgaria

Change in definition (1990): Data for &
39;Other reasons, including sickness&
39; include persons who are inactive for personal or family reasons.

Country: Bulgaria

Change in definition (1995 - 2002): Data for &
39;Other reasons, including sickness&
39; include persons who are inactive for personal or family reasons.
Data refer to June and include persons on compolsory military service

Country: Bulgaria

Change in definition (2003 - 2019): Data for ''Other reasons, including sickness'' - include persons who are inactive for personal or family reasons.
Data are annual averages and exclude persons on compulsory military service.

Country: Bulgaria

Reference period (1990): Data refer to 1993

Country: Bulgaria

Data below the threshold of 4 000 persons are not reliable due to small sample sizes and are not published.

Country: Canada

Data for Study, Retirement and Home-making include only persons who have left their jobs within the last 12 months. All other inactive persons are included in the category Other reasons, including sickness.

Country: Canada

Data do not cover the three northern territories (Yukon, Northwest and Nunavuk ).

Country: Croatia

Data given for 2013 onwards are calibrated according to the results of the Census 2011 and are not fully comparable with data given for previous years.

Country: Croatia

Due to availability of new and updated estimates of the total population, data for 2015 were revised in order to make the Survey data harmonised with demographic data of the Republic of Croatia.

Country: Cyprus

Territorial change (2000 - 2012): Data cover government controlled area.

Country: Czechia

From 2010 a new variable covers retired persons. This creates differences in sum of reasons to total reasons.

Country: Denmark

Break in methodlogy (2009): Beark in series due to change in sources

Country: Estonia

Data for age group 15+ refers to 15-74; age group 65+ refers to 65-74.

Country: Finland

Change in definition (1990 - 2006): Data for age group 15+ refers to 15-74; age group 65+ refers to 65-74. Data for ?Home-making? include persons who take care of own children or other dependants.
Data for ?Other reasons, including sickness? include disability and other reasons.
Data for inactive persons aged 65+ were all classified as retired.

Country: Finland

Change in definition (2007 onward): Data for age group 15+ refers to 15-74; age group 65+ refers to 65-74. Data for ?Home-making? include persons who take care of own children or other dependants.
Data for ?Other reasons, including sickness? include disability and other reasons.

Country: France

Data cover only Metropolitan France.

Country: France

Before 2014, the category ''Other'' includes homeworkers

Country: Georgia

Change in definition (2008 onward): Inactive persons: homemaker - also includes a man who looks after infants or disabled persons

Country: Georgia

Territorial change (2000 onward): Data do not cover Abkhazia AR and Tskhinvali Region

Country: Germany

Break in methodlogy (2005): Until 2004, data refer to one reporting week. From 2005 data are annual average figures.

Country: Greece

Data refer to annual averages.

Country: Hungary

Change in definition (2000 - 2013): Data for age group 15+ refers to 15-74; age group 65+ refers to 65-74. Data on ?Home-making? category include persons on parental leave. Data on ?Other reasons, including sickness? include permanently disabled persons.

Country: Iceland

Break in methodology (2003): Break in series because of change to continuous survey every week of the year.

Country: Iceland

Change in definition (1990 onward): The survey sample covered population aged 16 to 74.

Country: Iceland

Reference period (1990): Data refer to 1991.

Country: Ireland

Inactive according to ILO criteria classified by PES

Country: Israel

Break in methodlogy (2000): In 1998: 1) Changes in the weighting method; 2) Transition to the 1995 Population Census estimates; See explanations: http://www.cbs.gov.il/www/publications/saka_change/tch_e.pdf

Country: Israel

Break in methodlogy (2001): Changes in the weighting method. See explanations: http://www.cbs.gov.il/www/saka_y/e_intro_f1_comparison-mimi.f

Country: Israel

Break in methodlogy (2009): 1) Update of the definition of the civilian labour force characteristics; 2) Transition to the 2008 Population Census estimates. See explanations: http://www.cbs.gov.il/publications11/1460/pdf/intro05_e.pdf

Country: Israel

Break in methodlogy (2012): 1) Transitiom from a quarterly to a monthly LFS; 2) Changes in the definitions of labour force characteristics (including compulsory and permanent military service into labour force). See explanations: http://www.cbs.gov.il/publications/labour_survey04/labour_f--orce_survey/answer_question_e_2012.pdf

Country: Israel

Change in definition (1995): From 1995, 1) Update of the definitions of labour force characteristics; 2) Changes in the Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities; See explanations: http://www.cbs.gov.il/www/publications/saka_change/tch_e.pdf

Country: Israel

Change in definition (2000): From 2000, changes in the questionnaire (Highest Diploma Received, Discouraged Workers, Employees hired through employment agencies or employment contractors); See explanations: http://www.cbs.gov.il/www/saka_y/e_intro_e_changes.pdf

Country: Italy

Break in methodlogy (2004): From 2004, there is a break in series due to change in survey and data collection procedure (continuous survey).

Country: Kyrgyzstan

2003: break in series: change in methodology.

Country: Latvia

Change in definition (2002 - 2012): Age group 15+ refers to 15-74; age group 65+ refers to 65-74.

Country: Latvia

Reference period (1995): Data refer to 1996.

Country: Luxembourg

Reference period (1980): Data refers to year 1983

Country: Malta

- Y2006-Y2021: Primary includes ISCED 0 and ISCED 1;
- Break in series between Y2010 and Y2011.

Country: Netherlands

All inactive persons aged 65+ were categorized as retired through 2013, but are included in other categories from 2014.

Country: Norway

Data for age group 15-64 refers to 15-66; age group 25-49 refers to 25-54; age group 50-64 refers to 55-66; age group 65+ refers to 55-74 and age group 15+ refers to 15-74. Data for ?Retirement? include early retirement and disabled persons.

Country: Poland

Data are not fully comparable with the results of the surveys prior to 2010 as persons staying outside households for 12 months or longer are excluded from the survey (previously over 3 months).

Country: Portugal

Data from 2011 onwards are not directly comparable with data for the previous years due to new data collection methods used in the Portuguese Labour Force Survey series. Estimates below 4 500 individuals are not shown due to high coefficients of variation.

Country: Republic of Moldova

Data exclude the territory of the Transnistria and municipality of Bender

Country: Romania

Break in methodology (2002): Due to the revision of the definitions and the coverage, the data series of 2002-2012 are not perfectly comparable with data series of previous years. Break in series starting with year 2013. For years 2014 onward data were estimated using the resident population. For year 2013 data were estimated based on revised population figures (resident population) in accordance to the 2011 Census results.

Country: Romania

Reference period (1995): Data for 1995 refers to March 1995

Country: Russian Federation

Change in definition (1990 - 2013): Data present the population aged 15-72 years

Country: Russian Federation

Reference period (1990): Data refer to 1992

Country: Russian Federation

Territorial change (1990 - 2006): Data do not include the Chechen Republic

Country: Serbia

Data do not cover Kosovo and Metohija.

Country: Slovenia

Some data not shown due to low reliability.

Country: Spain

Data for age group 15+ refers to 16+; age group 15-24 refers to 16-24 and age group 15-64 refers to 16-64. Data are annual average of the four quarters of the year.

Country: Switzerland

Break in methodlogy (2010): Change to continuous survey. As of 2010: annual averages

Country: Switzerland

Reference period (1990): Data refer to 1991

Country: Switzerland

Reference period (1990 - 2009): Data refer to 2nd quarter

Country: Switzerland

Some data were deleted as unreliable

Country: Turkiye

Break in series (2014): Since 2014 series are not comparable with the previous years due to methodological changes in LFS.

Country: Turkiye

Break in methodlogy (2004): Data are revised according to the 2008 population projections.

Country: Ukraine

- Data refer to the age group 15-70, excluding institutional population.
- Geographical coverage: excludes zone I and II contaminated by the radiation from Chernobyl.
- From 2014 data cover the territories under the government control.

Country: Ukraine

Territorial change (2000 - 2012): Data do not cover the area of radioactive contamination from the Chernobyl disaster.

Country: United Kingdom

Some data were deleted as unreliable