Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Colombia
Colombia: Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 was 52.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Colombia, 1964–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Colombia stood at 52.3%.
That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and down 5.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Colombia peaked at 57.9% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 20.3%, in 1964.
That places Colombia 114th out of 194 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 40 years of available data.
Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Colombia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 20.3% | — |
| 1973 | 23.9% | +17.6% |
| 1980 | 22.4% | -6.2% |
| 1985 | 31.6% | +41.1% |
| 1986 | 32.6% | +3.2% |
| 1987 | 34.3% | +5.2% |
| 1989 | 46.4% | +35.2% |
| 1990 | 45.9% | -1.0% |
| 1991 | 49.8% | +8.5% |
| 1992 | 50.6% | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 56.4% | +11.4% |
| 1994 | 49.7% | -11.8% |
| 1997 | 51.7% | +3.9% |
| 1998 | 54.3% | +5.1% |
| 1999 | 57.9% | +6.7% |
| 2000 | 57.1% | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 53.6% | -6.2% |
| 2002 | 52.5% | -1.9% |
| 2003 | 53.9% | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 53.1% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 51.3% | -3.4% |
| 2007 | 49.2% | -4.1% |
| 2008 | 49.7% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 53.2% | +7.0% |
| 2010 | 54.6% | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 55.1% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 56.2% | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 55.5% | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 55.2% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 55.4% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 54.9% | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 54.5% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 53.4% | -2.0% |
| 2019 | 52.6% | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 47.3% | -10.0% |
| 2021 | 51.8% | +9.4% |
| 2022 | 51.1% | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 52.0% | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 51.9% | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 52.3% | +0.8% |
Colombia compared with similar countries
- Colombia's 52.3% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 52.2%, 1.0× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Colombia's 52.3% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 53.7%, 97% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Colombia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | +41.1% | 22.4% | 31.6% |
| 1989 | +35.2% | 34.3% | 46.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 20.3% | 20.3% | 20.3% | 1 |
| 1970s | 23.9% | 23.9% | 23.9% | 1 |
| 1980s | 33.5% | 22.4% | 46.4% | 5 |
| 1990s | 52.0% | 45.9% | 57.9% | 8 |
| 2000s | 52.6% | 49.2% | 57.1% | 9 |
| 2010s | 54.7% | 52.6% | 56.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 51.1% | 47.3% | 52.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Colombia
More work & labour data for Colombia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.7218 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.6981 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.7453 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.81 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.1417 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 48,629 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 6,104 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 23,624 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 23,456 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 47,081 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Colombia?
- Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Colombia was 52.3% 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 Colombia?
- The highest recorded value was 57.9% in 1999.
- What is the lowest female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 recorded in Colombia?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.3% in 1964.
- How does Colombia rank for female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025?
- Colombia ranks 114th out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
- Is female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 rising or falling in Colombia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Colombia 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 — 40 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.