Female employment rate in Denmark
Denmark: Female employment rate was 56.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
56.6%
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
53rd
of 172 countries
All-time high
58.2%
in 2006
All-time low
49.1%
in 1974
Years of data
49
1974–2025
Female employment rate in Denmark, 1974–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, female employment rate in Denmark stood at 56.6%.
The figure is down 0.5% on the previous year and up 6.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female employment rate in Denmark peaked at 58.2% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 49.1%, in 1974.
Denmark ranks 53rd of 172 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 49 years of available data.
Female employment rate in Denmark, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 49.1% | — |
| 1976 | 49.7% | +1.2% |
| 1977 | 50.3% | +1.3% |
| 1978 | 52.0% | +3.3% |
| 1979 | 50.9% | -2.2% |
| 1981 | 50.9% | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 52.2% | +2.5% |
| 1984 | 53.3% | +2.1% |
| 1985 | 54.0% | +1.4% |
| 1986 | 56.1% | +3.8% |
| 1987 | 56.1% | -0.0% |
| 1988 | 56.3% | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 55.2% | -2.1% |
| 1990 | 56.0% | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 55.5% | -0.8% |
| 1992 | 56.2% | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 55.0% | -2.2% |
| 1994 | 53.0% | -3.5% |
| 1995 | 52.5% | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 53.8% | +2.5% |
| 1997 | 55.2% | +2.6% |
| 1998 | 55.7% | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 56.5% | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 57.2% | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 56.8% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 57.6% | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 56.3% | -2.3% |
| 2004 | 57.1% | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 57.2% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 58.2% | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 58.1% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 57.5% | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 56.3% | -2.1% |
| 2010 | 54.9% | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 54.1% | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 53.6% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 53.2% | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 52.9% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 53.0% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 53.9% | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 54.1% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 54.5% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 54.9% | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 54.3% | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 55.1% | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 56.8% | +3.1% |
| 2023 | 56.5% | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 56.9% | +0.6% |
| 2025 | 56.6% | -0.5% |
Denmark compared with similar countries
- Denmark's 56.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 53.4%, 1.1× the median. (72 countries reporting)
- Denmark's 56.6% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 53.2%, 1.1× the median. (51 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 50.4% | 49.1% | 52.0% | 5 |
| 1980s | 54.2% | 50.9% | 56.3% | 8 |
| 1990s | 54.9% | 52.5% | 56.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 57.2% | 56.3% | 58.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 53.9% | 52.9% | 54.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 56.0% | 54.3% | 56.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Denmark
- 50 Canada 57.1% compare
- 51 Greenland 57.0% compare
- 52 Burkina Faso 56.8% compare
- 54 United Kingdom 56.6% compare
- 55 Barbados 56.0% compare
- 56 South Korea 55.7% compare
More work & labour data for Denmark
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.1261 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.1196 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.1326 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.51 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.3351 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 5,829 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 485.03 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,899 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,964 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 5,863 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female employment rate in Denmark?
- Female employment rate in Denmark was 56.6% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female employment rate recorded in Denmark?
- The highest recorded value was 58.2% in 2006.
- What is the lowest female employment rate recorded in Denmark?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.1% in 1974.
- How does Denmark rank for female employment rate?
- Denmark ranks 53rd out of 172 countries with data for 2025.
- Is female employment rate rising or falling in Denmark?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Denmark 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 49 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.