Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Netherlands
Netherlands: Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 was 61.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Netherlands, 1977–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Netherlands recorded 61.8% for female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in 2025.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 13.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Netherlands peaked at 61.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 25.5%, in 1977.
Netherlands ranks 27th of 172 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 47 years of available data.
Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Netherlands, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 25.5% | — |
| 1979 | 26.4% | +3.8% |
| 1980 | 27.5% | +4.2% |
| 1981 | 28.7% | +4.4% |
| 1982 | 28.8% | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 29.3% | +2.0% |
| 1985 | 30.5% | +3.9% |
| 1986 | 29.8% | -2.3% |
| 1987 | 35.7% | +19.8% |
| 1988 | 36.5% | +2.4% |
| 1989 | 37.3% | +2.1% |
| 1990 | 39.1% | +5.0% |
| 1991 | 40.4% | +3.2% |
| 1992 | 42.5% | +5.3% |
| 1993 | 43.0% | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 43.9% | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 44.1% | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 45.3% | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 47.0% | +3.8% |
| 1998 | 48.5% | +3.1% |
| 1999 | 50.5% | +4.1% |
| 2000 | 52.3% | +3.6% |
| 2001 | 53.7% | +2.8% |
| 2002 | 54.3% | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 54.3% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 54.1% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 51.8% | -4.2% |
| 2006 | 52.7% | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 54.4% | +3.3% |
| 2008 | 55.7% | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 55.9% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 55.5% | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 55.6% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 55.6% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 54.9% | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 53.9% | -1.8% |
| 2015 | 54.5% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 54.9% | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 55.7% | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 56.8% | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 57.8% | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 57.5% | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 60.0% | +4.3% |
| 2022 | 61.1% | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 61.7% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 61.9% | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 61.8% | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 25.9% | 25.5% | 26.4% | 2 |
| 1980s | 31.6% | 27.5% | 37.3% | 9 |
| 1990s | 44.4% | 39.1% | 50.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 53.9% | 51.8% | 55.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 55.5% | 53.9% | 57.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 60.7% | 57.5% | 61.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Netherlands
- 24 Bahamas 63.6% compare
- 25 Qatar 63.3% compare
- 26 New Zealand 62.9% compare
- 28 Ghana 61.6% compare
- 29 Seychelles 61.5% compare
- 30 Lao People's Democratic Republic 60.9% compare
More work & labour data for Netherlands
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 5,256 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 66.71 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 10,535 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 64.03 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.4 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.1112 % change on previous year (2027)
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Criminal sanctions or compensation for workplace sexual harassment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 67.2% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Netherlands?
- Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Netherlands was 61.8% 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 Netherlands?
- The highest recorded value was 61.9% in 2024.
- What is the lowest female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 recorded in Netherlands?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.5% in 1977.
- How does Netherlands rank for female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024?
- Netherlands ranks 27th out of 172 countries with data for 2025.
- Is female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 rising or falling in Netherlands?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Netherlands 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.