Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Singapore
Singapore: Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 was 62.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Singapore, 1970–2025
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 Singapore is 62.5%, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 0.4% on the previous year and up 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Singapore peaked at 64.2% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 29.5%, in 1970.
Singapore ranks 44th of 194 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.
Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Singapore, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 29.5% | — |
| 1975 | 34.9% | +18.0% |
| 1976 | 36.4% | +4.5% |
| 1977 | 37.9% | +4.1% |
| 1978 | 40.1% | +5.8% |
| 1979 | 41.9% | +4.4% |
| 1980 | 44.3% | +5.8% |
| 1982 | 45.2% | +2.1% |
| 1983 | 45.7% | +1.0% |
| 1984 | 45.8% | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 44.9% | -2.2% |
| 1986 | 45.6% | +1.7% |
| 1987 | 47.0% | +2.9% |
| 1988 | 47.8% | +1.8% |
| 1989 | 48.4% | +1.3% |
| 1991 | 48.0% | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 42.5% | -11.4% |
| 1993 | 41.4% | -2.7% |
| 1994 | 41.7% | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 40.1% | -3.8% |
| 1996 | 41.0% | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 40.1% | -2.3% |
| 1998 | 39.1% | -2.4% |
| 1999 | 50.7% | +29.7% |
| 2000 | 40.6% | -20.0% |
| 2001 | 51.6% | +27.2% |
| 2002 | 50.6% | -1.9% |
| 2003 | 50.9% | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 51.3% | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 52.0% | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 54.3% | +4.3% |
| 2007 | 53.1% | -2.2% |
| 2008 | 55.6% | +4.8% |
| 2009 | 55.2% | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 56.5% | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 57.0% | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 57.7% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 58.1% | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 58.6% | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 60.4% | +3.0% |
| 2016 | 60.4% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 59.8% | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 60.2% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 61.1% | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 61.2% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 64.2% | +4.8% |
| 2022 | 63.4% | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 62.6% | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 62.8% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 62.5% | -0.4% |
Singapore compared with similar countries
- Singapore's 62.5% is above the median for high income countries, which is 57.2%, 1.1× the median. (79 countries reporting)
- Singapore's 62.5% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 54.1%, 1.2× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Singapore 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | +29.7% | 39.1% | 50.7% |
| 2001 | +27.2% | 40.6% | 51.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 36.8% | 29.5% | 41.9% | 6 |
| 1980s | 46.1% | 44.3% | 48.4% | 9 |
| 1990s | 42.7% | 39.1% | 50.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 51.5% | 40.6% | 55.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.0% | 56.5% | 61.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 62.8% | 61.2% | 64.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Singapore
- 41 Australia 63.2% compare
- 42 Saint Lucia 62.9% compare
- 43 Switzerland 62.8% compare
- 45 Azerbaijan 61.9% compare
- 45 Estonia 61.9% compare
- 47 Burkina Faso 61.9% compare
More work & labour data for Singapore
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.967 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.9557 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.9779 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.1059 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 6,575 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 0 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,077 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,086 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 4,163 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, per unit 0 1000 No per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Singapore?
- Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Singapore was 62.5% 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 Singapore?
- The highest recorded value was 64.2% in 2021.
- What is the lowest female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 recorded in Singapore?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.5% in 1970.
- How does Singapore rank for female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025?
- Singapore ranks 44th out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
- Is female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 rising or falling in Singapore?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Singapore 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 — 50 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.