TOP 10 Countries by Foreign-Born Share in Working-Age Population (15–64, 2025)
Many countries have high overall migrant shares, but what really shapes labour markets is the share of foreign-born people among those of working age (15–64). This ranking zooms in on that specific group and then compares how well foreign-born adults are integrated into employment relative to native-born workers.
What exactly is measured and why focus on ages 15–64?
The indicator uses UN DESA and OECD data to estimate the share of foreign-born persons in the working-age population (15–64). It differs from the usual “share of migrants in total population” in two ways:
- It excludes children under 15 and older people 65+, who are less directly involved in the labour market.
- It focuses on the age span where most people are studying, working or actively seeking work.
In highly mobile economies, the working-age foreign-born share can be significantly higher than the overall migrant share, because migration is concentrated in prime working ages.
Who leads in foreign-born working-age population share?
Based on recent UN DESA and OECD data (around 2023–2024, projected to 2025), the highest foreign-born shares among those aged 15–64 are found in a set of small, open, high-income economies.
An indicative Top 10 includes Luxembourg, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Canada, Austria, Sweden, Ireland and Belgium. In these countries, foreign-born persons account for roughly 23–46 % of the working-age population. In Luxembourg, almost every second working-age resident was born abroad.
Why look at employment rates of foreign-born and native-born workers?
The size of the foreign-born working-age population tells only part of the story. To understand integration, we need to compare employment rates of foreign-born vs native-born adults.
A small gap — where foreign-born and natives have similar employment rates — suggests that educational background, language and recognition of qualifications are not major barriers, or that institutions succeed in offsetting them. A large negative gap indicates that foreign-born adults face systematic disadvantages in entering or staying in work.
- Positive sign: Foreign-born employment close to or above native-born levels.
- Warning sign: Double-digit gaps, especially among women or recent arrivals.
- Policy lever: Language courses, recognition of foreign diplomas, anti-discrimination enforcement and targeted activation policies.
The tables below first rank countries by foreign-born share in ages 15–64, then compare employment outcomes of foreign-born and native-born adults. The scatter plot links both dimensions: where the foreign-born share is high and the employment gap is small, integration pressure is greatest — and policy responses most visible.
Table 1. Foreign-born share in working-age population (15–64), Top 10 countries, 2025
Approximate share of foreign-born persons in the population aged 15–64, based on UN DESA migrant stock estimates and OECD population data around 2023–2024, projected to 2025. Values are rounded to highlight the order of magnitude.
| Rank | Country | Foreign-born in population 15–64, % |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luxembourg | ≈ 46 |
| 2 | Switzerland | ≈ 33 |
| 3 | Australia | ≈ 31 |
| 4 | New Zealand | ≈ 30 |
| 5 | Israel | ≈ 29 |
| 6 | Canada | ≈ 28 |
| 7 | Austria | ≈ 26 |
| 8 | Sweden | ≈ 25 |
| 9 | Ireland | ≈ 24 |
| 10 | Belgium | ≈ 23 |
Interpretation. In Luxembourg, Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand, more than three in ten working-age residents are foreign-born. Even in Belgium, which closes the Top 10, almost a quarter of all adults 15–64 were born abroad.
Table 2. Employment rate of foreign-born vs native-born adults (15–64), selected countries, 2025
Approximate employment rates for adults aged 15–64, distinguishing foreign-born and native-born populations. Values are based on OECD labour force statistics and national surveys around 2023–2024 (rounded and stylised).
| Country | Foreign-born employment rate, % | Native-born employment rate, % |
|---|---|---|
| Luxembourg | ≈ 70 | ≈ 74 |
| Switzerland | ≈ 76 | ≈ 80 |
| Australia | ≈ 74 | ≈ 77 |
| New Zealand | ≈ 75 | ≈ 78 |
| Israel | ≈ 69 | ≈ 71 |
| Canada | ≈ 72 | ≈ 76 |
| Austria | ≈ 68 | ≈ 76 |
| Sweden | ≈ 67 | ≈ 79 |
| Ireland | ≈ 71 | ≈ 77 |
| Belgium | ≈ 63 | ≈ 73 |
Employment gaps. In Switzerland and Luxembourg, the employment rates of foreign-born adults are only about 4 percentage points below those of native-born workers. In Sweden and Belgium, the gaps widen to 10–12 percentage points, signalling more persistent integration challenges.
Chart 1. Foreign-born share in working-age population (15–64), Top 10 countries, 2025
The bar chart below visualises the ranking from Table 1. It highlights how small, open economies such as Luxembourg and Switzerland rely particularly strongly on foreign-born workers, while countries like Australia, New Zealand and Canada combine relatively large populations with high foreign-born shares.
Reading tip. Differences of a few percentage points in the foreign-born share can mean hundreds of thousands of workers in medium-sized countries, so even small visual gaps between the bars are economically significant.
Chart 2. Foreign-born share vs employment gap (foreign-born vs native-born), selected countries, 2025
This scatter chart plots each country by two dimensions: foreign-born share in the working-age population (horizontal axis) and the employment gap between native-born and foreign-born adults (vertical axis). The gap is calculated as native-born employment rate minus foreign-born employment rate.
Countries in the lower-right area (high foreign-born share, small gap), such as Switzerland and Luxembourg, combine strong reliance on migrants with relatively balanced labour-market outcomes. Countries higher on the chart, like Sweden, Belgium and Austria, exhibit larger gaps despite substantial foreign-born populations.
Policy angle. Reducing employment gaps where the foreign-born share is high can have outsized effects on overall employment, tax revenues and social cohesion, because integration policies affect a large share of the workforce.
Data sources and methodology
- United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), International Migrant Stock database , estimates of foreign-born populations by age and country of residence.
- OECD, OECD.Stat – International Migration and Labour Force Statistics , tables on employment rates of foreign-born and native-born populations aged 15–64.
- OECD, International Migration Outlook , analytical chapters on migrant integration, labour-market participation and country-specific notes on data coverage.
- Eurostat and national statistical offices for EU members (for example Luxembourg, Austria, Sweden, Ireland, Belgium), providing detailed labour-force survey data by country of birth and age.
- National labour-force surveys and statistical releases for Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Israel and Switzerland, used to cross-check employment rates and age-group breakdowns for foreign-born vs native-born populations.
