Female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 in Malaysia

Malaysia: Female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 was 55.8 in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
55.8
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
91st
of 194 countries
All-time high
55.8
in 2022
All-time low
35.65
in 1991
Years of data
41
1970–2022

Female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 in Malaysia, 1970–2022

02040601970199620221970: 35.81980: 36.81982: 44.51983: 45.71984: 45.21985: 45.91986: 46.41987: 47.51988: 47.51989: 46.71990: 47.81991: 35.61992: 46.91993: 46.51995: 44.71996: 46.81997: 461998: 44.41999: 44.72000: 47.62001: 46.82002: 46.72003: 47.72004: 47.22005: 45.92007: 46.42008: 45.72009: 46.42010: 46.52011: 482012: 49.52013: 52.62014: 53.72015: 54.12016: 54.32017: 54.72018: 55.22019: 55.62020: 55.32021: 55.52022: 55.8

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2022, female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 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 rates latest vs 1980 in Malaysia peaked at 55.8 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 35.65, 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 rates latest vs 1980 in Malaysia, year by year

Annual values for Female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 in Malaysia, 1970 to 2022.
Year Value Change
1970 35.83
1980 36.8 +2.7%
1982 44.48 +20.9%
1983 45.73 +2.8%
1984 45.17 -1.2%
1985 45.9 +1.6%
1986 46.41 +1.1%
1987 47.49 +2.3%
1988 47.52 +0.1%
1989 46.72 -1.7%
1990 47.76 +2.2%
1991 35.65 -25.4%
1992 46.94 +31.7%
1993 46.52 -0.9%
1995 44.68 -4.0%
1996 46.76 +4.7%
1997 45.95 -1.7%
1998 44.38 -3.4%
1999 44.67 +0.6%
2000 47.57 +6.5%
2001 46.83 -1.6%
2002 46.69 -0.3%
2003 47.73 +2.2%
2004 47.24 -1.0%
2005 45.93 -2.8%
2007 46.4 +1.0%
2008 45.7 -1.5%
2009 46.4 +1.5%
2010 46.5 +0.2%
2011 48 +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%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 35.83 35.83 35.83 1
1980s 45.14 36.8 47.52 9
1990s 44.81 35.65 47.76 9
2000s 46.72 45.7 47.73 9
2010s 52.42 46.5 55.6 10
2020s 55.53 55.3 55.8 3

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 88 Guam 56.5 compare
  2. 89 Russia 56.45 compare
  3. 90 Japan 56.4 compare
  4. 92 Portugal 55.7 compare
  5. 93 Slovak Republic 55.6 compare
  6. 94 Dominican Republic 55.5 compare

See the full ranking of 194 places →

More work & labour data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 in Malaysia?
Female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 in Malaysia was 55.8 in 2022, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 55.8 in 2022.
What is the lowest female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 35.65 in 1991.
How does Malaysia rank for female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980?
Malaysia ranks 91st out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
Is female labor force participation rates latest vs 1980 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 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 Malaysia. 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/malaysia/

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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