Female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 in Korea

Korea: Female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 was 57.31 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
57.31
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
76th
of 194 countries
All-time high
57.31
in 2025
All-time low
27.92
in 1960
Years of data
33
1960–2025

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

02040601960199220251960: 27.91966: 31.41970: 38.41975: 46.71979: 28.91980: 39.51990: 32.62000: 49.42001: 502002: 50.42003: 49.52004: 50.72005: 50.82006: 512007: 50.92008: 50.62009: 49.82010: 502011: 50.22012: 50.52013: 50.92014: 51.92015: 52.42016: 52.72017: 53.22018: 53.32019: 53.92020: 53.22021: 53.72022: 552023: 56.12024: 56.82025: 57.3

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

Korea recorded 57.31 for female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 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 rates latest vs 1980 in Korea peaked at 57.31 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 27.92, in 1960.

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 rates latest vs 1980 in Korea, year by year

Annual values for Female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 in Korea, 1960 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1960 27.92
1966 31.42 +12.5%
1970 38.36 +22.1%
1975 46.68 +21.7%
1979 28.9 -38.1%
1980 39.46 +36.6%
1990 32.57 -17.5%
2000 49.39 +51.6%
2001 50.01 +1.3%
2002 50.43 +0.8%
2003 49.51 -1.8%
2004 50.74 +2.5%
2005 50.82 +0.2%
2006 51.04 +0.4%
2007 50.95 -0.2%
2008 50.65 -0.6%
2009 49.83 -1.6%
2010 50.04 +0.4%
2011 50.23 +0.4%
2012 50.45 +0.4%
2013 50.95 +1.0%
2014 51.95 +2.0%
2015 52.44 +1.0%
2016 52.65 +0.4%
2017 53.16 +1.0%
2018 53.27 +0.2%
2019 53.85 +1.1%
2020 53.18 -1.2%
2021 53.7 +1.0%
2022 55.04 +2.5%
2023 56.07 +1.9%
2024 56.8 +1.3%
2025 57.31 +0.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 29.67 27.92 31.42 2
1970s 37.98 28.9 46.68 3
1980s 39.46 39.46 39.46 1
1990s 32.57 32.57 32.57 1
2000s 50.34 49.39 51.04 10
2010s 51.9 50.04 53.85 10
2020s 55.35 53.18 57.31 6

Countries ranked near Korea

  1. 73 Gibraltar 57.54 compare
  2. 74 Lesotho 57.51 compare
  3. 75 Zambia 57.37 compare
  4. 77 Cuba 57.3 compare
  5. 78 United States of America 57.28 compare
  6. 79 Albania 57.27 compare

See the full ranking of 194 places →

More work & labour data for Korea

All data for Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 in Korea?
Female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 in Korea was 57.31 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 recorded in Korea?
The highest recorded value was 57.31 in 2025.
What is the lowest female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 recorded in Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 27.92 in 1960.
How does Korea rank for female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980?
Korea ranks 76th out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
Is female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 rising or falling in Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 9.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Korea 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 Korea. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/female-labor-force-participation-rates-latest-vs-1980/korea-rep/

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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