Belgium vs France: Female employment rate
Belgium
48.7%
in 2025
France
49.4%
in 2025
Belgium rank
98th
France rank
96th
Female employment rate over time
- Belgium
- France
How they compare
France currently reports 49.4% against 48.7% in Belgium, a difference of 0.7%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 45 shared years of data; in 1979 it was France ahead.
Belgium ranks 98th and France ranks 96th of 172 countries.
France has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Belgium | France | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 25.4% | 38.9% | 13.4% | France |
| 1980s | 29.7% | 40.6% | 10.9% | France |
| 1990s | 35.5% | 41.4% | 5.9% | France |
| 2000s | 41.0% | 45.3% | 4.2% | France |
| 2010s | 44.7% | 46.5% | 1.9% | France |
| 2020s | 47.8% | 48.5% | 0.7% | France |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher female employment rate, Belgium or France?
- France, at 49.4% against 48.7% in Belgium as of 2025.
- What is the difference in female employment rate between Belgium and France?
- 0.7%, with France ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and France?
- 45 years are reported by both, from 1979 to 2025.
- How do Belgium and France rank globally for female employment rate?
- Belgium ranks 98th and France ranks 96th 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.