Female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 in Japan

Japan: Female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 was 56.4 in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)
56.4
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
90th
of 194 countries
All-time high
56.4
in 2025
All-time low
45.7
in 1975
Years of data
66
1960–2025

Female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 in Japan, 1960–2025

0204060196019922025

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

Japan recorded 56.4 for female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.

That represents a change of up 1.4% on the previous year and up 14.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 in Japan peaked at 56.4 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 45.7, in 1975.

That places Japan 90th out of 194 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

Female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 in Japan, year by year

Annual values for Female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 in Japan, 1960 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1960 54.5
1961 54.3 -0.4%
1962 53.4 -1.7%
1963 52 -2.6%
1964 51.1 -1.7%
1965 50.6 -1.0%
1966 50.9 +0.6%
1967 51.2 +0.6%
1968 50.7 -1.0%
1969 50.1 -1.2%
1970 49.9 -0.4%
1971 48.8 -2.2%
1972 47.7 -2.3%
1973 48.2 +1.0%
1974 46.5 -3.5%
1975 45.7 -1.7%
1976 45.8 +0.2%
1977 46.6 +1.7%
1978 47.4 +1.7%
1979 47.6 +0.4%
1980 47.6 +0.0%
1981 47.7 +0.2%
1982 48 +0.6%
1983 49 +2.1%
1984 48.9 -0.2%
1985 48.7 -0.4%
1986 48.6 -0.2%
1987 48.6 +0.0%
1988 48.9 +0.6%
1989 49.5 +1.2%
1990 50.1 +1.2%
1991 50.7 +1.2%
1992 50.7 +0.0%
1993 50.3 -0.8%
1994 50.2 -0.2%
1995 50 -0.4%
1996 50 +0.0%
1997 50.4 +0.8%
1998 50.1 -0.6%
1999 49.6 -1.0%
2000 49.28 -0.6%
2001 49.15 -0.3%
2002 48.54 -1.2%
2003 48.25 -0.6%
2004 48.25 +0.0%
2005 48.37 +0.2%
2006 48.48 +0.2%
2007 48.45 -0.1%
2008 48.42 -0.1%
2009 48.5 +0.2%
2010 48.4 -0.2%
2011 48.15 -0.5%
2012 48.09 -0.1%
2013 48.8 +1.5%
2014 49.23 +0.9%
2015 49.46 +0.5%
2016 50.26 +1.6%
2017 51.07 +1.6%
2018 52.41 +2.6%
2019 53.27 +1.6%
2020 53.12 -0.3%
2021 53.5 +0.7%
2022 54.21 +1.3%
2023 54.82 +1.1%
2024 55.6 +1.4%
2025 56.4 +1.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 51.88 50.1 54.5 10
1970s 47.42 45.7 49.9 10
1980s 48.55 47.6 49.5 10
1990s 50.21 49.6 50.7 10
2000s 48.57 48.25 49.28 10
2010s 49.91 48.09 53.27 10
2020s 54.61 53.12 56.4 6

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 87 Zimbabwe 56.64 compare
  2. 88 Guam 56.5 compare
  3. 89 Russia 56.45 compare
  4. 91 Malaysia 55.8 compare
  5. 92 Portugal 55.7 compare
  6. 93 Slovak Republic 55.6 compare

See the full ranking of 194 places →

More work & labour data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 in Japan?
Female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 in Japan was 56.4 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 recorded in Japan?
The highest recorded value was 56.4 in 2025.
What is the lowest female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 45.7 in 1975.
How does Japan rank for female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980?
Japan ranks 90th out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
Is female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is up 14.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Japan data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 in Japan. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/female-labor-force-participation-rates-latest-vs-1980/japan/

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About this data

Indicator
Female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
194 places, 4,756 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed