Female labor force participation rate in Finland
Finland: Female labor force participation rate was 57.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Female labor force participation rate in Finland, 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 in Finland is 57.7%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 3.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female labor force participation rate in Finland peaked at 71.7% in 1982 and was at its lowest, 42.7%, in 1977.
That places Finland 70th out of 194 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.
Female labor force participation rate in Finland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 48.5% | — |
| 1970 | 48.8% | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 48.7% | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 42.7% | -12.4% |
| 1979 | 54.0% | +26.6% |
| 1980 | 44.1% | -18.4% |
| 1981 | 55.6% | +26.1% |
| 1982 | 71.7% | +28.9% |
| 1984 | 48.6% | -32.1% |
| 1985 | 59.6% | +22.5% |
| 1986 | 59.0% | -0.9% |
| 1987 | 58.4% | -1.2% |
| 1988 | 58.3% | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 58.5% | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 64.8% | +10.7% |
| 1991 | 63.5% | -2.0% |
| 1992 | 62.1% | -2.1% |
| 1993 | 61.3% | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 60.5% | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 56.3% | -6.9% |
| 1996 | 54.6% | -3.0% |
| 1997 | 54.9% | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 55.1% | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 58.1% | +5.4% |
| 2000 | 58.3% | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 58.5% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 58.7% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 58.3% | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 57.8% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 58.1% | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 58.4% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 57.4% | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 57.4% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 57.0% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 56.0% | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 55.8% | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 56.0% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 55.5% | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 55.5% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 55.6% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 55.0% | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 55.2% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 55.9% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 55.8% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 55.3% | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 56.7% | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 58.2% | +2.6% |
| 2023 | 58.5% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 57.6% | -1.5% |
| 2025 | 57.7% | +0.1% |
Finland compared with similar countries
- Finland's 57.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 57.2%, 1.0× the median. (79 countries reporting)
- Finland's 57.7% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 56.9%, 1.0× the median. (53 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Female labor force participation rate in Finland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | -32.1% | 71.7% | 48.6% |
| 1982 | +28.9% | 55.6% | 71.7% |
| 1979 | +26.6% | 42.7% | 54.0% |
| 1981 | +26.1% | 44.1% | 55.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 48.5% | 48.5% | 48.5% | 1 |
| 1970s | 48.5% | 42.7% | 54.0% | 4 |
| 1980s | 57.1% | 44.1% | 71.7% | 9 |
| 1990s | 59.1% | 54.6% | 64.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 58.0% | 57.0% | 58.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 55.6% | 55.0% | 56.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 57.3% | 55.3% | 58.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Finland
More work & labour data for Finland
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.3571 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.35 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.3641 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.59 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.2994 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 5,282 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 583.99 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,261 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,341 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 4,601 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female labor force participation rate in Finland?
- Female labor force participation rate in Finland was 57.7% 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 recorded in Finland?
- The highest recorded value was 71.7% in 1982.
- What is the lowest female labor force participation rate recorded in Finland?
- The lowest recorded value was 42.7% in 1977.
- How does Finland rank for female labor force participation rate?
- Finland ranks 70th out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
- Is female labor force participation rate rising or falling in Finland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Finland 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. 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.