Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Thailand
Thailand: Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 was 59.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Thailand, 1976–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Thailand recorded 59.3% for female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Thailand peaked at 78.4% in 1982 and was at its lowest, 43.7%, in 1976.
That places Thailand 61st out of 194 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 40 years of available data.
Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Thailand, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 43.7% | — |
| 1978 | 75.3% | +72.4% |
| 1979 | 72.0% | -4.4% |
| 1980 | 76.6% | +6.4% |
| 1982 | 78.4% | +2.3% |
| 1984 | 76.3% | -2.6% |
| 1987 | 76.2% | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 76.5% | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 76.8% | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 76.3% | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 65.2% | -14.6% |
| 1996 | 66.9% | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 67.4% | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 65.8% | -2.4% |
| 1999 | 64.2% | -2.4% |
| 2000 | 64.9% | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 65.0% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 65.0% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 65.1% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 66.3% | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 65.1% | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 66.0% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 65.8% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 64.7% | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 63.7% | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 65.9% | +3.5% |
| 2012 | 65.3% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 62.1% | -4.9% |
| 2014 | 61.5% | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 61.1% | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 60.2% | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 59.4% | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 59.7% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 59.0% | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 59.2% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 59.2% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 59.9% | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 60.6% | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 59.8% | -1.3% |
| 2025 | 59.3% | -0.8% |
Thailand compared with similar countries
- Thailand's 59.3% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 52.2%, 1.1× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Thailand's 59.3% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 54.1%, 1.1× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Thailand 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | +72.4% | 43.7% | 75.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 63.7% | 43.7% | 75.3% | 3 |
| 1980s | 76.8% | 76.2% | 78.4% | 6 |
| 1990s | 67.6% | 64.2% | 76.3% | 6 |
| 2000s | 65.3% | 64.7% | 66.3% | 9 |
| 2010s | 61.8% | 59.0% | 65.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 59.7% | 59.2% | 60.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Thailand
More work & labour data for Thailand
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.7473 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.7165 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.7773 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.09 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.1451 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 45,410 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 19,963 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 23,079 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 22,476 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 45,555 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Thailand?
- Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Thailand was 59.3% 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 Thailand?
- The highest recorded value was 78.4% in 1982.
- What is the lowest female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 recorded in Thailand?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.7% in 1976.
- How does Thailand rank for female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025?
- Thailand ranks 61st out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
- Is female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 rising or falling in Thailand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Thailand 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 — 40 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.