Female employment rate in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: Female employment rate was 52.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Female employment rate in United Arab Emirates, 1975–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
United Arab Emirates recorded 52.0% for female employment rate in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 5.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female employment rate in United Arab Emirates peaked at 58.3% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 9.7%, in 1975.
United Arab Emirates ranks 82nd of 172 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Female employment rate in United Arab Emirates, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 9.7% | — |
| 1980 | 15.3% | +57.4% |
| 1995 | 30.6% | +99.9% |
| 2005 | 35.1% | +14.7% |
| 2008 | 36.8% | +4.9% |
| 2009 | 37.5% | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 49.2% | +31.0% |
| 2017 | 49.1% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 49.6% | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 54.5% | +9.9% |
| 2020 | 58.3% | +6.9% |
| 2021 | 49.3% | -15.4% |
| 2022 | 51.4% | +4.2% |
| 2023 | 52.2% | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 52.0% | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 9.7% | 9.7% | 9.7% | 1 |
| 1980s | 15.3% | 15.3% | 15.3% | 1 |
| 1990s | 30.6% | 30.6% | 30.6% | 1 |
| 2000s | 36.5% | 35.1% | 37.5% | 3 |
| 2010s | 50.6% | 49.1% | 54.5% | 4 |
| 2020s | 52.6% | 49.3% | 58.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates
More work & labour data for United Arab Emirates
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.9136 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.7692 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 1.09 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.1 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.7766 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 12,158 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,005 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 11,620 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 14,514 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 26,134 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female employment rate in United Arab Emirates?
- Female employment rate in United Arab Emirates was 52.0% 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 United Arab Emirates?
- The highest recorded value was 58.3% in 2020.
- What is the lowest female employment rate recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.7% in 1975.
- How does United Arab Emirates rank for female employment rate?
- United Arab Emirates ranks 82nd out of 172 countries with data for 2024.
- Is female employment rate rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Arab Emirates 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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CSV · JSON — 15 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.