Ireland vs Sweden: Female employment rate
Ireland
58.5%
in 2025
Sweden
58.9%
in 2025
Ireland rank
40th
Sweden rank
39th
Female employment rate over time
- Ireland
- Sweden
How they compare
Sweden currently reports 58.9% against 58.5% in Ireland, a difference of 0.4%.
Across all 42 years both countries report, Sweden has been ahead every year.
Ireland ranks 40th and Sweden ranks 39th of 172 countries.
Sweden has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ireland | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 28.0% | 72.5% | 44.5% | Sweden |
| 1990s | 35.2% | 59.6% | 24.4% | Sweden |
| 2000s | 49.1% | 55.2% | 6.1% | Sweden |
| 2010s | 50.2% | 64.2% | 13.9% | Sweden |
| 2020s | 56.3% | 59.6% | 3.3% | Sweden |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher female employment rate, Ireland or Sweden?
- Sweden, at 58.9% against 58.5% in Ireland as of 2025.
- What is the difference in female employment rate between Ireland and Sweden?
- 0.4%, with Sweden ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and Sweden?
- 42 years are reported by both, from 1983 to 2025.
- How do Ireland and Sweden rank globally for female employment rate?
- Ireland ranks 40th and Sweden ranks 39th 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.