Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Malaysia
Malaysia: Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 was 55.8% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Malaysia, 1970–2022
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Malaysia stood at 55.8%. That is the highest value across all 41 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 12.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Malaysia peaked at 55.8% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 35.6%, in 1991.
That places Malaysia 91st out of 194 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 41 years of available data.
Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 35.8% | — |
| 1980 | 36.8% | +2.7% |
| 1982 | 44.5% | +20.9% |
| 1983 | 45.7% | +2.8% |
| 1984 | 45.2% | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 45.9% | +1.6% |
| 1986 | 46.4% | +1.1% |
| 1987 | 47.5% | +2.3% |
| 1988 | 47.5% | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 46.7% | -1.7% |
| 1990 | 47.8% | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 35.6% | -25.4% |
| 1992 | 46.9% | +31.7% |
| 1993 | 46.5% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 44.7% | -4.0% |
| 1996 | 46.8% | +4.7% |
| 1997 | 46.0% | -1.7% |
| 1998 | 44.4% | -3.4% |
| 1999 | 44.7% | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 47.6% | +6.5% |
| 2001 | 46.8% | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 46.7% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 47.7% | +2.2% |
| 2004 | 47.2% | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 45.9% | -2.8% |
| 2007 | 46.4% | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 45.7% | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 46.4% | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 46.5% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 48.0% | +3.2% |
| 2012 | 49.5% | +3.1% |
| 2013 | 52.6% | +6.3% |
| 2014 | 53.7% | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 54.1% | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 54.3% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 54.7% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 55.2% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 55.6% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 55.3% | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 55.5% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 55.8% | +0.5% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 55.8% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 52.2%, 1.1× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 55.8% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 54.1%, 1.0× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Malaysia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | +31.7% | 35.6% | 46.9% |
| 1991 | -25.4% | 47.8% | 35.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 35.8% | 35.8% | 35.8% | 1 |
| 1980s | 45.1% | 36.8% | 47.5% | 9 |
| 1990s | 44.8% | 35.6% | 47.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 46.7% | 45.7% | 47.7% | 9 |
| 2010s | 52.4% | 46.5% | 55.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 55.5% | 55.3% | 55.8% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More work & labour data for Malaysia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.2671 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.2772 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.2563 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.25 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.6933 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 36,440 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,289 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 21,832 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 22,194 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 44,026 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Malaysia?
- Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Malaysia was 55.8% in 2022, 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 55.8% in 2022.
- What is the lowest female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.6% in 1991.
- How does Malaysia rank for female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025?
- Malaysia ranks 91st out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia 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 — 41 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.