Female labor force participation rates in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Female labor force participation rates was 5.09 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Female labor force participation rates in Afghanistan, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 5.09 for female labor force participation rates in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.7% on the previous year and down 73.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female labor force participation rates in Afghanistan peaked at 21.24 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 5.09, in 2025.
Afghanistan ranks 185th of 186 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Female labor force participation rates in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 15.74 | — |
| 1991 | 15.7 | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 15.62 | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 15.51 | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 15.36 | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 15.19 | -1.1% |
| 1996 | 15.02 | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 14.82 | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 14.62 | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 14.44 | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 14.29 | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 14.2 | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 14.15 | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 14.15 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 14.21 | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 14.3 | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 14.45 | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 14.67 | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 14.94 | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 15.25 | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 15.57 | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 15.89 | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 16.21 | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 17.14 | +5.7% |
| 2014 | 18.11 | +5.7% |
| 2015 | 19.11 | +5.6% |
| 2016 | 20.16 | +5.5% |
| 2017 | 21.24 | +5.4% |
| 2018 | 19.8 | -6.8% |
| 2019 | 18.3 | -7.6% |
| 2020 | 16.47 | -10.0% |
| 2021 | 14.62 | -11.3% |
| 2022 | 5.16 | -64.7% |
| 2023 | 5.14 | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 5.12 | -0.4% |
| 2025 | 5.09 | -0.7% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 5.09 is below the median for low income countries, which is 60.29, 8% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 5.09 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 22.23, 23% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Female labor force participation rates in Afghanistan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -64.7% | 14.62 | 5.16 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15.2 | 14.44 | 15.74 | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.46 | 14.15 | 15.25 | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.15 | 15.57 | 21.24 | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.6 | 5.09 | 16.47 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More work & labour data for Afghanistan
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.4637 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.4511 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.4755 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.088 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.67 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 25,498 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 36,430 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 65,039 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 65,177 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 130,217 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female labor force participation rates in Afghanistan?
- Female labor force participation rates in Afghanistan was 5.09 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female labor force participation rates recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 21.24 in 2017.
- What is the lowest female labor force participation rates recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.09 in 2025.
- How does Afghanistan rank for female labor force participation rates?
- Afghanistan ranks 185th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is female labor force participation rates rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 73.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Female labor force participation rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).