Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Sweden
Sweden: Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 was 64.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Sweden, 1965–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Sweden recorded 64.6% for female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 7.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Sweden peaked at 82.3% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 37.3%, in 1965.
Sweden ranks 31st of 194 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 46 years of available data.
Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Sweden, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 37.3% | — |
| 1975 | 53.1% | +42.1% |
| 1976 | 53.6% | +1.0% |
| 1982 | 66.2% | +23.6% |
| 1983 | 66.8% | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 67.4% | +0.9% |
| 1985 | 68.1% | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 80.6% | +18.4% |
| 1987 | 81.1% | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 82.3% | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 71.2% | -13.4% |
| 1991 | 70.6% | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 69.3% | -1.9% |
| 1993 | 67.6% | -2.3% |
| 1994 | 66.8% | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 66.2% | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 57.4% | -13.3% |
| 1997 | 56.5% | -1.6% |
| 1998 | 55.0% | -2.6% |
| 1999 | 56.4% | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 56.5% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 58.6% | +3.8% |
| 2002 | 58.7% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 58.9% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 58.6% | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 59.1% | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 59.2% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 59.7% | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 59.8% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 59.4% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 67.1% | +13.0% |
| 2011 | 67.9% | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 68.3% | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 68.7% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 69.1% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 69.5% | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 69.7% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 70.2% | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 70.6% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 71.0% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 70.4% | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 63.1% | -10.4% |
| 2022 | 63.5% | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 64.4% | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 64.5% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 64.6% | +0.2% |
Sweden compared with similar countries
- Sweden's 64.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 57.2%, 1.1× the median. (79 countries reporting)
- Sweden's 64.6% 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 Sweden 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | +42.1% | 37.3% | 53.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 37.3% | 37.3% | 37.3% | 1 |
| 1970s | 53.3% | 53.1% | 53.6% | 2 |
| 1980s | 73.2% | 66.2% | 82.3% | 7 |
| 1990s | 63.7% | 55.0% | 71.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 58.9% | 56.5% | 59.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 69.2% | 67.1% | 71.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 65.1% | 63.1% | 70.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
More work & labour data for Sweden
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.0422 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.0602 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0243 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.29 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.5427 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 10,837 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 788.88 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 5,587 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 5,780 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 11,367 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Sweden?
- Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Sweden was 64.6% 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 Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 82.3% in 1989.
- What is the lowest female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.3% in 1965.
- How does Sweden rank for female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025?
- Sweden ranks 31st out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
- Is female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sweden 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 — 46 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.