Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Italy
Italy: Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 was 38.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Italy, 1977–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Italy recorded 38.8% for female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in 2025. That is the highest value across all 48 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 11.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Italy peaked at 38.8% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 27.4%, in 1978.
Italy ranks 138th of 172 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 48 years of available data.
Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Italy, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 27.5% | — |
| 1978 | 27.4% | -0.4% |
| 1979 | 27.8% | +1.5% |
| 1980 | 28.3% | +1.9% |
| 1982 | 28.0% | -1.1% |
| 1983 | 28.2% | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 27.8% | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 28.0% | +0.7% |
| 1986 | 28.3% | +1.2% |
| 1987 | 28.5% | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 28.7% | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 29.0% | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 29.5% | +1.6% |
| 1991 | 30.3% | +2.9% |
| 1992 | 29.3% | -3.4% |
| 1993 | 28.6% | -2.5% |
| 1994 | 28.4% | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 28.1% | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 28.5% | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 28.6% | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 28.9% | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 29.6% | +2.4% |
| 2000 | 30.4% | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 31.5% | +3.7% |
| 2002 | 32.1% | +2.0% |
| 2003 | 32.9% | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 34.5% | +5.0% |
| 2005 | 34.2% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 34.8% | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 35.0% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 35.4% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 34.7% | -1.9% |
| 2010 | 34.5% | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 34.7% | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 35.0% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 34.5% | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 34.6% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 34.7% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 35.3% | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 35.9% | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 36.2% | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 36.7% | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 35.7% | -2.7% |
| 2021 | 35.8% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 36.9% | +2.9% |
| 2023 | 37.9% | +2.7% |
| 2024 | 38.4% | +1.5% |
| 2025 | 38.8% | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 27.5% | 27.4% | 27.8% | 3 |
| 1980s | 28.3% | 27.8% | 29.0% | 9 |
| 1990s | 29.0% | 28.1% | 30.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 33.6% | 30.4% | 35.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.2% | 34.5% | 36.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 37.3% | 35.7% | 38.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Italy
- 135 East Timor 40.2% compare
- 136 Honduras 40.1% compare
- 137 Romania 39.5% compare
- 139 North Macedonia 38.4% compare
- 140 French Polynesia 37.9% compare
- 141 Bangladesh 37.1% compare
More work & labour data for Italy
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.6708 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.6794 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.662 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.03 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.0094 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 44,671 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 10,422 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 17,512 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 17,865 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 35,377 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Italy?
- Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Italy was 38.8% 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 Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 38.8% in 2025.
- What is the lowest female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.4% in 1978.
- How does Italy rank for female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024?
- Italy ranks 138th out of 172 countries with data for 2025.
- Is female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Italy 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 — 48 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.