Monaco employs nearly 60,000 people in its private sector, but only a fraction of them call the Principality home. According to the latest figures from IMSEE, Monaco’s statistics institute, just 10% of private sector workers — around 5,975 people — live in Monaco itself. The vast majority commute in daily from elsewhere.

The largest share, 81%, live in the Alpes-Maritimes department of France, with a further 21% in a neighbouring municipality. Eight percent live in Italy, making it the second country of residence after France. The third most common country of residence is Portugal — which may come as a surprise given its geographical distance — a reflection of the significant Portuguese community that has long been embedded in Monaco’s workforce.

Who makes up the workforce

French nationals make up 62% of the private sector workforce, the largest single nationality by some distance. Italians account for 15%, Portuguese workers 7%, with the remaining workforce drawn from 145 different nationalities. Monégasques themselves represent just 2% of the private sector, or 1,011 people. The average age of a private sector worker in Monaco is 42.5 years, with men accounting for 61% of the workforce and women 39%.

A workforce in slight decline

The data, published by IMSEE in March and based on figures from 2025, covers 59,724 active employees across Monaco’s private sector — a figure that fell by 1.2%, or 730 people, compared with the previous year. The total number of hours worked across 2025 stood at 105.7 million, down 2 million on the previous year.

The figures illustrate the extent to which Monaco’s economy depends on a cross-border workforce, with the vast majority of the people who keep the Principality running returning each evening to homes across the French border.

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Photo credit: Cassandra Tanti