Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Norway
Norway: Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 was 61.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Norway, 1960–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Norway is 61.7%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.9% on the previous year and down 9.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Norway peaked at 70.6% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 23.8%, in 1960.
Norway ranks 48th of 194 countries on this measure, 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 Norway, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 23.8% | — |
| 1970 | 27.7% | +16.2% |
| 1980 | 55.2% | +99.4% |
| 1981 | 56.4% | +2.1% |
| 1982 | 56.4% | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 57.6% | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 58.1% | +0.9% |
| 1985 | 59.6% | +2.4% |
| 1986 | 62.3% | +4.6% |
| 1987 | 63.8% | +2.5% |
| 1988 | 63.7% | -0.2% |
| 1989 | 62.4% | -2.1% |
| 1990 | 62.4% | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 62.3% | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 62.2% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 62.3% | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 62.7% | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 64.5% | +2.9% |
| 1996 | 66.1% | +2.4% |
| 1997 | 67.8% | +2.5% |
| 1998 | 69.2% | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 69.2% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 69.2% | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 69.5% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 70.5% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 69.1% | -1.9% |
| 2004 | 69.1% | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 68.5% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 68.3% | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 69.4% | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 70.6% | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 69.7% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 68.7% | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 68.6% | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 68.4% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 68.4% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 68.2% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 68.2% | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 67.7% | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 67.0% | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 67.1% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 64.5% | -3.9% |
| 2020 | 62.0% | -3.9% |
| 2021 | 60.7% | -2.0% |
| 2022 | 62.2% | +2.4% |
| 2023 | 62.1% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 62.3% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 61.7% | -0.9% |
Norway compared with similar countries
- Norway's 61.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 57.2%, 1.1× the median. (79 countries reporting)
- Norway's 61.7% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 56.9%, 1.1× the median. (53 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Norway 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | +99.4% | 27.7% | 55.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 23.8% | 23.8% | 23.8% | 1 |
| 1970s | 27.7% | 27.7% | 27.7% | 1 |
| 1980s | 59.6% | 55.2% | 63.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 64.9% | 62.2% | 69.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 69.4% | 68.3% | 70.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 67.7% | 64.5% | 68.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 61.8% | 60.7% | 62.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Norway
More work & labour data for Norway
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.2322 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.2413 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.2229 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.14 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.7506 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 6,138 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 663.52 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,690 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,724 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 5,414 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Norway?
- Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Norway was 61.7% 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 Norway?
- The highest recorded value was 70.6% in 2008.
- What is the lowest female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 recorded in Norway?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.8% in 1960.
- How does Norway rank for female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025?
- Norway ranks 48th out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
- Is female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 rising or falling in Norway?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Norway 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.