Female employment rate in Barbados
Barbados: Female employment rate was 56.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Female employment rate in Barbados, 1978–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Barbados recorded 56.0% for female employment rate in 2024.
That represents a change of up 4.9% on the previous year and up 6.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female employment rate in Barbados peaked at 56.5% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 27.7%, in 1978.
Barbados ranks 55th of 172 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 27.7% | 27.7% | 27.7% | 1 |
| 1980s | 45.9% | 43.8% | 49.8% | 5 |
| 1990s | 47.4% | 44.0% | 51.0% | 7 |
| 2000s | 55.9% | 55.9% | 55.9% | 1 |
| 2010s | 54.8% | 52.6% | 56.5% | 9 |
| 2020s | 53.2% | 49.7% | 56.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Barbados
- 52 Burkina Faso 56.8% compare
- 53 Denmark 56.6% compare
- 54 United Kingdom 56.6% compare
- 56 South Korea 55.7% compare
- 57 Cuba 55.3% compare
- 58 Cameroon 55.3% compare
More work & labour data for Barbados
- Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Criminal sanctions or compensation for workplace sexual harassment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-6 78.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 48.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 48.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 48.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 76.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 80.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 61.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female employment rate in Barbados?
- Female employment rate in Barbados was 56.0% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female employment rate recorded in Barbados?
- The highest recorded value was 56.5% in 2016.
- What is the lowest female employment rate recorded in Barbados?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.7% in 1978.
- How does Barbados rank for female employment rate?
- Barbados ranks 55th out of 172 countries with data for 2024.
- Is female employment rate rising or falling in Barbados?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Barbados 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. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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.