Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Belgium
Belgium: Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 was 48.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Belgium, 1977–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Belgium is 48.7%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 46 years on record.
The figure is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Belgium peaked at 48.7% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 24.6%, in 1977.
That places Belgium 98th out of 172 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 46 years of available data.
Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 24.6% | — |
| 1979 | 25.4% | +3.2% |
| 1980 | 25.6% | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 29.8% | +16.5% |
| 1984 | 29.5% | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 30.0% | +1.6% |
| 1986 | 30.3% | +1.2% |
| 1987 | 30.1% | -0.6% |
| 1988 | 30.9% | +2.6% |
| 1989 | 31.5% | +1.9% |
| 1990 | 32.4% | +2.8% |
| 1991 | 34.0% | +4.9% |
| 1992 | 35.2% | +3.7% |
| 1993 | 35.3% | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 35.2% | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 35.6% | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 35.5% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 36.3% | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 36.8% | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 38.8% | +5.4% |
| 2000 | 40.0% | +3.3% |
| 2001 | 39.0% | -2.7% |
| 2002 | 39.3% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 39.5% | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 40.6% | +2.7% |
| 2005 | 41.3% | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 41.6% | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 42.6% | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 43.3% | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 43.1% | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 43.6% | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 43.7% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 43.6% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 43.9% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 44.3% | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 44.3% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 44.2% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 45.3% | +2.5% |
| 2018 | 46.8% | +3.3% |
| 2019 | 47.4% | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 46.7% | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 47.1% | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 48.1% | +2.2% |
| 2023 | 48.1% | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 48.0% | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 48.7% | +1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 25.0% | 24.6% | 25.4% | 2 |
| 1980s | 29.7% | 25.6% | 31.5% | 8 |
| 1990s | 35.5% | 32.4% | 38.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 41.0% | 39.0% | 43.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 44.7% | 43.6% | 47.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 47.8% | 46.7% | 48.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More work & labour data for Belgium
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.1652 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.1676 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.1614 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.59 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.1395 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 12,349 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 139 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 5,498 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 5,563 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 11,061 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Belgium?
- Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Belgium was 48.7% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 48.7% in 2025.
- What is the lowest female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.6% in 1977.
- How does Belgium rank for female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024?
- Belgium ranks 98th out of 172 countries with data for 2025.
- Is female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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.