Female labor force participation rates in Germany
Germany: Female labor force participation rates was 55.29 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
55.29
Change on year
down 0.6%
World rank
78th
of 186 countries
All-time high
55.82
in 2023
All-time low
45.17
in 1990
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Female labor force participation rates in Germany, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, female labor force participation rates in Germany stood at 55.29.
The figure is down 0.6% on the previous year and up 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female labor force participation rates in Germany peaked at 55.82 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 45.17, in 1990.
That places Germany 78th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Female labor force participation rates in Germany, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 45.17 | — |
| 1991 | 47.91 | +6.1% |
| 1992 | 47.82 | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 47.47 | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 47.98 | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 47.83 | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 47.85 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 48.36 | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 48.54 | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 49.05 | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 49 | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 49.35 | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 49.58 | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 49.98 | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 49.74 | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 50.69 | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 51.76 | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 52.21 | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 52 | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 52.62 | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 52.53 | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 53.71 | +2.3% |
| 2012 | 53.68 | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 54.19 | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 54.47 | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 54.44 | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 54.81 | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 55.14 | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 55.21 | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 55.71 | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 55.11 | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 55.02 | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 55.54 | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 55.82 | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 55.62 | -0.4% |
| 2025 | 55.29 | -0.6% |
Germany compared with similar countries
- Germany's 55.29 is above the median for high income countries, which is 55.09, 1.0× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Germany's 55.29 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 54.59, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 47.8 | 45.17 | 49.05 | 10 |
| 2000s | 50.69 | 49 | 52.62 | 10 |
| 2010s | 54.39 | 52.53 | 55.71 | 10 |
| 2020s | 55.4 | 55.02 | 55.82 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More work & labour data for Germany
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.0436 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.0549 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0322 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.95 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.0388 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 66,826 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 12,413 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 35,391 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 35,508 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 70,900 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female labor force participation rates in Germany?
- Female labor force participation rates in Germany was 55.29 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female labor force participation rates recorded in Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 55.82 in 2023.
- What is the lowest female labor force participation rates recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.17 in 1990.
- How does Germany rank for female labor force participation rates?
- Germany ranks 78th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is female labor force participation rates rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Germany 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).