Insights on economically active populations form a strong foundation for accurate budgeting, projections and policymaking decisions for a nation. We analysed workforce participation and decomposition of the change in working life years in India. An extension of Arriaga’s method of decomposition, as used by Nusselder and Loonman (2004) on healthy life expectancy, is used on working life years. The study highlights the decrease in the number of person-years lived in the working state for both genders. The positive contribution from decline in mortality is offset by negative contributions from workforce participation. The dynamics of working life years vary vastly by gender and states in India. In India, the increase in longevity has not translated fully into economically active years. The study highlights the contributing factors towards change in working life years in India, which are important for policy-making decisions.