Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Canada
Canada: Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 was 61.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Canada, 1961–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Canada recorded 61.1% for female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 0.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Canada peaked at 62.5% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 29.7%, in 1961.
Canada ranks 52nd of 194 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 52 years of available data.
Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Canada, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 29.7% | — |
| 1971 | 39.9% | +34.4% |
| 1976 | 45.7% | +14.5% |
| 1977 | 46.5% | +1.8% |
| 1978 | 47.9% | +3.0% |
| 1979 | 49.4% | +3.0% |
| 1980 | 50.6% | +2.5% |
| 1981 | 52.0% | +2.8% |
| 1982 | 52.1% | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 53.0% | +1.6% |
| 1984 | 53.8% | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 54.9% | +2.1% |
| 1986 | 55.7% | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 56.5% | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 57.4% | +1.7% |
| 1989 | 58.1% | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 58.5% | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 58.4% | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 57.8% | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 57.7% | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 57.5% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 57.5% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 57.5% | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 57.8% | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 58.4% | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 58.9% | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 59.4% | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 59.8% | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 60.9% | +1.9% |
| 2003 | 61.9% | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 62.0% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 61.7% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 61.9% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 62.4% | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 62.5% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 62.4% | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 62.4% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 62.0% | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 62.0% | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 62.1% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 61.5% | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 61.3% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 61.2% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 61.4% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 61.3% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 61.6% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 59.8% | -2.9% |
| 2021 | 61.0% | +2.1% |
| 2022 | 61.5% | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 61.7% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 61.2% | -0.7% |
| 2025 | 61.1% | -0.3% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 61.1% is above the median for high income countries, which is 57.2%, 1.1× the median. (79 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Canada changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | +34.4% | 29.7% | 39.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 29.7% | 29.7% | 29.7% | 1 |
| 1970s | 45.9% | 39.9% | 49.4% | 5 |
| 1980s | 54.4% | 50.6% | 58.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 58.0% | 57.5% | 58.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 61.5% | 59.4% | 62.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 61.7% | 61.2% | 62.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 61.0% | 59.8% | 61.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More work & labour data for Canada
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.3281 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.3334 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.3231 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.29 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.6552 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 39,234 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,715 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 26,798 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 26,814 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 53,612 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Canada?
- Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Canada was 61.1% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 62.5% in 2008.
- What is the lowest female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.7% in 1961.
- How does Canada rank for female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025?
- Canada ranks 52nd out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
- Is female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada 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 labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 52 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 economically active (employed or unemployed). Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.