Female labor force participation rates in China
China: Female labor force participation rates was 59.15 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
59.15
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
54th
of 186 countries
All-time high
73.09
in 1990
All-time low
59.15
in 2025
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Female labor force participation rates in China, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, female labor force participation rates in China stood at 59.15. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 5.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female labor force participation rates in China peaked at 73.09 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 59.15, in 2025.
China ranks 54th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Female labor force participation rates in China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 73.09 | — |
| 1991 | 72.59 | -0.7% |
| 1992 | 72.09 | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 71.59 | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 71.08 | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 70.56 | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 70.04 | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 69.52 | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 68.99 | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 68.45 | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 67.91 | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 67.5 | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 67.09 | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 66.67 | -0.6% |
| 2004 | 66.25 | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 65.83 | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 65.4 | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 64.97 | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 64.54 | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 64.11 | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 63.67 | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 63.66 | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 63.33 | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 63.02 | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 62.83 | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 62.6 | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 62.33 | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 61.96 | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 61.59 | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 61.3 | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 59.71 | -2.6% |
| 2021 | 61.18 | +2.5% |
| 2022 | 60.1 | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 60.22 | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 59.45 | -1.3% |
| 2025 | 59.15 | -0.5% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 59.15 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 51.06, 1.2× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- China's 59.15 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 55.91, 1.1× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 70.8 | 68.45 | 73.09 | 10 |
| 2000s | 66.03 | 64.11 | 67.91 | 10 |
| 2010s | 62.63 | 61.3 | 63.67 | 10 |
| 2020s | 59.97 | 59.15 | 61.18 | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
More work & labour data for China
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -1.65 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -1.74 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -1.57 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.11 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.0615 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 1.12 million 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 275,362 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 319,567 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 326,230 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 645,797 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female labor force participation rates in China?
- Female labor force participation rates in China was 59.15 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female labor force participation rates recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 73.09 in 1990.
- What is the lowest female labor force participation rates recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 59.15 in 2025.
- How does China rank for female labor force participation rates?
- China ranks 54th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is female labor force participation rates rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China 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).