Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in South Korea
South Korea: Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 was 57.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in South Korea, 1960–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 57.3% for female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in 2025. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.9% on the previous year and up 9.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in South Korea peaked at 57.3% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 27.9%, in 1960.
South Korea ranks 76th of 194 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 27.9% | — |
| 1966 | 31.4% | +12.5% |
| 1970 | 38.4% | +22.1% |
| 1975 | 46.7% | +21.7% |
| 1979 | 28.9% | -38.1% |
| 1980 | 39.5% | +36.6% |
| 1990 | 32.6% | -17.5% |
| 2000 | 49.4% | +51.6% |
| 2001 | 50.0% | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 50.4% | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 49.5% | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 50.7% | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 50.8% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 51.0% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 50.9% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 50.6% | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 49.8% | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 50.0% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 50.2% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 50.5% | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 50.9% | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 51.9% | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 52.4% | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 52.7% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 53.2% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 53.3% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 53.9% | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 53.2% | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 53.7% | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 55.0% | +2.5% |
| 2023 | 56.1% | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 56.8% | +1.3% |
| 2025 | 57.3% | +0.9% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 57.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 57.2%, 1.0× the median. (79 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 57.3% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 54.1%, 1.1× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in South Korea 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | +51.6% | 32.6% | 49.4% |
| 1979 | -38.1% | 46.7% | 28.9% |
| 1980 | +36.6% | 28.9% | 39.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 29.7% | 27.9% | 31.4% | 2 |
| 1970s | 38.0% | 28.9% | 46.7% | 3 |
| 1980s | 39.5% | 39.5% | 39.5% | 1 |
| 1990s | 32.6% | 32.6% | 32.6% | 1 |
| 2000s | 50.3% | 49.4% | 51.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.9% | 50.0% | 53.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 55.4% | 53.2% | 57.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More work & labour data for South Korea
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 16,840 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 63.91 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 29,824 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 2.96 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 0.78 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 97,052 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 65,686 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 62.02 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 0.9719 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate -0.1065 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in South Korea?
- Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in South Korea was 57.3% 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 South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 57.3% in 2025.
- What is the lowest female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.9% in 1960.
- How does South Korea rank for female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025?
- South Korea ranks 76th out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
- Is female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea 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 — 33 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.