Female labor force participation rate in Syria

Syria: Female labor force participation rate was 14.8% in 2011. ▲ Rising

Latest (2011)
14.8%
Change on year
up 13.8%
World rank
190th
of 194 countries
All-time high
23.4%
in 2002
All-time low
7.1%
in 1981
Years of data
21
1960–2011

Female labor force participation rate in Syria, 1960–2011

5101520251960198520111960: 7.9 %1970: 8.6 %1981: 7.1 %1983: 11.9 %1984: 12.1 %1989: 8.3 %1991: 10.2 %1993: 19.5 %1995: 20.2 %1997: 11.3 %1998: 16.7 %1999: 20 %2000: 20.6 %2001: 21.3 %2002: 23.4 %2003: 18.8 %2006: 15 %2007: 14.1 %2008: 14.7 %2009: 13 %2011: 14.8 %

Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2011, female labor force participation rate in Syria stood at 14.8%.

The figure is up 13.8% on the previous year and down 30.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, female labor force participation rate in Syria peaked at 23.4% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 7.1%, in 1981.

Syria ranks 190th of 194 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 7.9% 7.9% 7.9% 1
1970s 8.6% 8.6% 8.6% 1
1980s 9.8% 7.1% 12.1% 4
1990s 16.3% 10.2% 20.2% 6
2000s 17.6% 13.0% 23.4% 8
2010s 14.8% 14.8% 14.8% 1

Countries ranked near Syria

  1. 187 Palestine 18.2% compare
  2. 188 Jordan 17.6% compare
  3. 189 Algeria 17.0% compare
  4. 191 Sudan 14.4% compare
  5. 192 Iran 14.1% compare
  6. 193 Iraq 10.8% compare

See the full ranking of 194 places →

More work & labour data for Syria

All data for Syria →

Frequently asked questions

What is female labor force participation rate in Syria?
Female labor force participation rate in Syria was 14.8% in 2011, 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 Syria?
The highest recorded value was 23.4% in 2002.
What is the lowest female labor force participation rate recorded in Syria?
The lowest recorded value was 7.1% in 1981.
How does Syria rank for female labor force participation rate?
Syria ranks 190th out of 194 countries with data for 2011.
Is female labor force participation rate rising or falling in Syria?
Over the last ten years it is down 30.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Syria 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.

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About this data

Indicator
Female labor force participation rate
Unit
%
Source
Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
194 places, 4,756 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

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.