Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Portugal
Portugal: Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 was 52.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Portugal, 1978–2025
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 Portugal stood at 52.1%. That is the highest value across all 47 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 11.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Portugal peaked at 52.1% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 39.3%, in 1978.
That places Portugal 79th 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 Portugal, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 39.3% | — |
| 1979 | 40.8% | +3.8% |
| 1980 | 40.5% | -0.8% |
| 1981 | 41.8% | +3.3% |
| 1982 | 41.6% | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 44.1% | +6.1% |
| 1985 | 41.5% | -6.0% |
| 1986 | 40.2% | -3.0% |
| 1987 | 41.9% | +4.0% |
| 1988 | 42.7% | +2.1% |
| 1989 | 43.7% | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 44.4% | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 47.1% | +6.0% |
| 1992 | 47.1% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 46.4% | -1.5% |
| 1994 | 45.7% | -1.4% |
| 1995 | 45.6% | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 45.2% | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 45.7% | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 48.9% | +7.0% |
| 1999 | 49.7% | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 50.2% | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 50.8% | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 51.2% | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 50.8% | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 50.4% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 50.5% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 50.6% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 50.6% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 50.9% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 50.0% | -1.8% |
| 2010 | 49.2% | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 47.4% | -3.8% |
| 2012 | 46.1% | -2.6% |
| 2013 | 45.2% | -2.1% |
| 2014 | 46.0% | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 46.8% | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 47.5% | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 48.9% | +3.1% |
| 2018 | 50.3% | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 50.6% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 49.3% | -2.5% |
| 2021 | 49.1% | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 50.3% | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 51.2% | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 51.2% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 52.1% | +1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 40.1% | 39.3% | 40.8% | 2 |
| 1980s | 42.0% | 40.2% | 44.1% | 9 |
| 1990s | 46.6% | 44.4% | 49.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 50.6% | 50.0% | 51.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 47.8% | 45.2% | 50.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 50.5% | 49.1% | 52.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
- 76 Finland 52.4% compare
- 76 Slovakia 52.4% compare
- 78 Liechtenstein 52.1% compare
- 80 Brunei Darussalam 52.1% compare
- 81 Albania 52.1% compare
- 82 United Arab Emirates 52.0% compare
More work & labour data for Portugal
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.0538 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.055 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0528 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.28 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.1795 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 7,134 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,861 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 4,504 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 4,250 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 8,754 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Portugal?
- Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Portugal was 52.1% 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 Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 52.1% in 2025.
- What is the lowest female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 39.3% in 1978.
- How does Portugal rank for female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024?
- Portugal ranks 79th out of 172 countries with data for 2025.
- Is female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Portugal 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.