Afghanistan vs Pakistan: Female employment rate
Afghanistan
22.0%
in 2021
Pakistan
25.4%
in 2025
Afghanistan rank
162nd
Pakistan rank
160th
Female employment rate over time
- Afghanistan
- Pakistan
How they compare
Pakistan currently reports 25.4% against 22.0% in Afghanistan, a difference of 3.4%.
That makes Pakistan's figure about 1.2 times Afghanistan's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 5 shared years of data; in 2008 it was Afghanistan ahead.
Afghanistan ranks 162nd and Pakistan ranks 160th of 172 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Afghanistan averaged higher in 2 and Pakistan in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Afghanistan | Pakistan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 42.8% | 19.9% | 23.0% | Afghanistan |
| 2010s | 19.3% | 21.5% | 2.1% | Pakistan |
| 2020s | 17.9% | 17.3% | 0.5% | Afghanistan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher female employment rate, Afghanistan or Pakistan?
- Pakistan, at 25.4% against 22.0% in Afghanistan as of 2025.
- What is the difference in female employment rate between Afghanistan and Pakistan?
- 3.4%, with Pakistan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Afghanistan and Pakistan?
- 5 years are reported by both, from 2008 to 2021.
- How do Afghanistan and Pakistan rank globally for female employment rate?
- Afghanistan ranks 162nd and Pakistan ranks 160th of 172 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Female employment rate. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of the female working-age population who are employed. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.