Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Netherlands
Netherlands: Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 was 64.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Netherlands, 1960–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Netherlands recorded 64.4% for female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in 2025. That is the highest value across all 48 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 9.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Netherlands peaked at 64.4% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 22.6%, in 1960.
That places Netherlands 34th out of 194 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 48 years of available data.
Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Netherlands, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 22.6% | — |
| 1977 | 27.9% | +23.5% |
| 1979 | 29.4% | +5.3% |
| 1980 | 29.2% | -0.8% |
| 1981 | 30.6% | +5.1% |
| 1982 | 33.4% | +8.9% |
| 1983 | 34.0% | +2.0% |
| 1985 | 34.8% | +2.3% |
| 1986 | 35.9% | +3.1% |
| 1987 | 41.5% | +15.6% |
| 1988 | 41.8% | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 42.3% | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 43.9% | +3.9% |
| 1991 | 44.8% | +2.1% |
| 1992 | 46.1% | +2.9% |
| 1993 | 46.5% | +0.9% |
| 1994 | 47.7% | +2.5% |
| 1995 | 48.3% | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 49.3% | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 50.6% | +2.7% |
| 1998 | 51.5% | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 53.0% | +3.1% |
| 2000 | 54.1% | +2.1% |
| 2001 | 55.1% | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 55.9% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 56.5% | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 56.9% | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 55.6% | -2.3% |
| 2006 | 56.1% | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 57.4% | +2.3% |
| 2008 | 58.3% | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 58.8% | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 58.7% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 58.8% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 59.3% | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 59.2% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 58.4% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 58.8% | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 58.7% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 58.8% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 59.1% | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 59.8% | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 59.9% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 62.8% | +4.9% |
| 2022 | 63.6% | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 64.1% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 64.3% | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 64.4% | +0.1% |
Netherlands compared with similar countries
- Netherlands's 64.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 57.2%, 1.1× the median. (79 countries reporting)
- Netherlands's 64.4% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 56.9%, 1.1× the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 22.6% | 22.6% | 22.6% | 1 |
| 1970s | 28.7% | 27.9% | 29.4% | 2 |
| 1980s | 35.9% | 29.2% | 42.3% | 9 |
| 1990s | 48.2% | 43.9% | 53.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 56.5% | 54.1% | 58.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.0% | 58.4% | 59.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 63.2% | 59.9% | 64.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Netherlands
More work & labour data for Netherlands
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 5,256 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 66.71 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 10,535 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 4.03 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 0.834 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 130,584 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 94,797 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 64.03 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.4 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.1112 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Netherlands?
- Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Netherlands was 64.4% 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 Netherlands?
- The highest recorded value was 64.4% in 2025.
- What is the lowest female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 recorded in Netherlands?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.6% in 1960.
- How does Netherlands rank for female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025?
- Netherlands ranks 34th out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
- Is female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 rising or falling in Netherlands?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Netherlands 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 — 48 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.