Norway vs Switzerland: Female employment rate
Norway
59.2%
in 2025
Switzerland
59.7%
in 2025
Norway rank
37th
Switzerland rank
34th
Female employment rate over time
- Norway
- Switzerland
How they compare
Switzerland currently reports 59.7% against 59.2% in Norway, a difference of 0.5%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 41 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Norway ahead.
Norway ranks 37th and Switzerland ranks 34th of 172 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Norway averaged higher in 4 and Switzerland in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Norway | Switzerland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 58.7% | 38.6% | 20.1% | Norway |
| 1990s | 61.7% | 52.1% | 9.6% | Norway |
| 2000s | 67.0% | 57.1% | 9.9% | Norway |
| 2010s | 65.4% | 58.7% | 6.7% | Norway |
| 2020s | 59.5% | 59.6% | 0.1% | Switzerland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher female employment rate, Norway or Switzerland?
- Switzerland, at 59.7% against 59.2% in Norway as of 2025.
- What is the difference in female employment rate between Norway and Switzerland?
- 0.5%, with Switzerland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Norway and Switzerland?
- 41 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2025.
- How do Norway and Switzerland rank globally for female employment rate?
- Norway ranks 37th and Switzerland ranks 34th 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.