Socio-economically inactive population

The economically inactive population includes students, women occupied solely in domestic duties, retired persons, persons living entirely on their own means and persons wholly dependent upon others. The practice varies between countries as regards the inclusion in this category of such groups as armed forces, inmates of institutions, persons living on reservations, persons seeking work for the first time, seasonal workers and persons engaged in part-time economic activities.

World statistics for 1975 indicate a crude activity rate of 41.5% for the world, 46.0% for more developed regions and 39.7% for less developed regions.