South Korea vs United States: Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025
South Korea
57.3%
in 2025
United States
57.3%
in 2025
South Korea rank
76th
United States rank
78th
Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 over time
- South Korea
- United States
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 57.3% against 57.3% in United States, a difference of 0.0%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1960 it was United States ahead.
South Korea ranks 76th and United States ranks 78th of 194 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 29.7% | 39.0% | 9.3% | United States |
| 1970s | 38.0% | 46.8% | 8.9% | United States |
| 1980s | 39.5% | 51.5% | 12.0% | United States |
| 1990s | 32.6% | 57.5% | 24.9% | United States |
| 2000s | 50.3% | 59.5% | 9.1% | United States |
| 2010s | 51.9% | 57.4% | 5.5% | United States |
| 2020s | 55.4% | 56.9% | 1.5% | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025, South Korea or United States?
- South Korea, at 57.3% against 57.3% in United States as of 2025.
- What is the difference in female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 between South Korea and United States?
- 0.0%, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and United States?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do South Korea and United States rank globally for female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025?
- South Korea ranks 76th and United States ranks 78th of 194 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025. 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 economically active (employed or unemployed). Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.