Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Ghana
Ghana: Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 was 61.6% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Ghana, 1988–2024
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 Ghana is 61.6%, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 2.5% on the previous year and down 14.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Ghana peaked at 75.8% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 50.5%, in 2021.
Ghana ranks 28th of 172 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.
Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 63.2% | — |
| 1989 | 61.0% | -3.5% |
| 1991 | 73.8% | +21.1% |
| 1992 | 74.2% | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 60.5% | -18.5% |
| 1999 | 75.8% | +25.3% |
| 2000 | 64.8% | -14.5% |
| 2006 | 65.6% | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 65.4% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 72.0% | +10.0% |
| 2015 | 61.2% | -15.0% |
| 2017 | 67.1% | +9.6% |
| 2021 | 50.5% | -24.7% |
| 2022 | 60.1% | +19.1% |
| 2023 | 63.2% | +5.1% |
| 2024 | 61.6% | -2.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 62.1% | 61.0% | 63.2% | 2 |
| 1990s | 71.1% | 60.5% | 75.8% | 4 |
| 2000s | 65.2% | 64.8% | 65.6% | 2 |
| 2010s | 66.4% | 61.2% | 72.0% | 4 |
| 2020s | 58.9% | 50.5% | 63.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
- 25 Qatar 63.3% compare
- 26 New Zealand 62.9% compare
- 27 Netherlands 61.8% compare
- 29 Seychelles 61.5% compare
- 30 Laos 60.9% compare
- 31 Australia 60.6% compare
More work & labour data for Ghana
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.1512 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.1464 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.1562 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.2734 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.99 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 37,518 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 13,752 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 34,429 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 33,119 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 67,548 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Ghana?
- Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Ghana was 61.6% in 2024, 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 Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 75.8% in 1999.
- What is the lowest female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 50.5% in 2021.
- How does Ghana rank for female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024?
- Ghana ranks 28th out of 172 countries with data for 2024.
- Is female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ghana 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 — 16 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.