Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in France
France: Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 was 49.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in France, 1979–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in France stood at 49.4%. That is the highest value across all 47 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 6.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in France peaked at 49.4% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 38.8%, in 1981.
That places France 96th 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 47 years of available data.
Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in France, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 38.9% | — |
| 1980 | 38.9% | -0.0% |
| 1981 | 38.8% | -0.1% |
| 1982 | 39.2% | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 41.1% | +4.7% |
| 1984 | 40.8% | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 40.6% | -0.5% |
| 1986 | 41.3% | +1.7% |
| 1987 | 40.5% | -1.9% |
| 1988 | 40.7% | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 40.9% | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 41.0% | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 41.4% | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 41.2% | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 41.4% | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 41.0% | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 41.4% | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 41.6% | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 41.3% | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 41.7% | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 42.1% | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 43.1% | +2.3% |
| 2001 | 43.7% | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 44.3% | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 45.7% | +3.3% |
| 2004 | 45.2% | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 45.4% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 45.5% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 46.4% | +1.9% |
| 2008 | 46.9% | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 46.5% | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 46.4% | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 46.3% | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 46.4% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 46.7% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 46.5% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 46.5% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 46.5% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 46.5% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 46.8% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 47.0% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 46.6% | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 48.2% | +3.5% |
| 2022 | 48.8% | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 49.0% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 49.0% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 49.4% | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 38.9% | 38.9% | 38.9% | 1 |
| 1980s | 40.3% | 38.8% | 41.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 41.4% | 41.0% | 42.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 45.3% | 43.1% | 46.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 46.5% | 46.3% | 47.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 48.5% | 46.6% | 49.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near France
More work & labour data for France
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.028 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.0507 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0063 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.62 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.3323 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 62,374 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 8,235 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 35,191 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 33,294 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 68,485 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in France?
- Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in France was 49.4% 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 France?
- The highest recorded value was 49.4% in 2025.
- What is the lowest female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.8% in 1981.
- How does France rank for female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024?
- France ranks 96th out of 172 countries with data for 2025.
- Is female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this France 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 47 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.