Norway vs Sweden: Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates
Norway
89.9%
in 2025
Sweden
91.0%
in 2025
Norway rank
23rd
Sweden rank
21st
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates over time
- Norway
- Sweden
How they compare
Sweden currently reports 91.0% against 89.9% in Norway, a difference of 1.1%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 36 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Sweden ahead.
Norway ranks 23rd and Sweden ranks 21st of 186 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Norway averaged higher in 1 and Sweden in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Norway | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 78.3% | 87.4% | 9.1% | Sweden |
| 2000s | 87.2% | 87.9% | 0.7% | Sweden |
| 2010s | 90.5% | 89.3% | 1.2% | Norway |
| 2020s | 90.0% | 90.2% | 0.3% | Sweden |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher ratio of female to male labor force participation rates, Norway or Sweden?
- Sweden, at 91.0% against 89.9% in Norway as of 2025.
- What is the difference in ratio of female to male labor force participation rates between Norway and Sweden?
- 1.1%, with Sweden ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Norway and Sweden?
- 36 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2025.
- How do Norway and Sweden rank globally for ratio of female to male labor force participation rates?
- Norway ranks 23rd and Sweden ranks 21st of 186 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Labour Organization (ILOEST/ILOSTAT) and World Bank staff estimates (2026) β processed by Our World in Data, published as Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
This ratio is calculated by dividing the labor force participation rate among women by the corresponding rate for men. The labor force participation rate is the share of the working-age population (ages 15 and over) who are economically active (employed or unemployed).