Female labor force participation rate in Ghana

Ghana: Female labor force participation rate was 55.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
55.3%
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
79th
of 186 countries
All-time high
70.1%
in 1991
All-time low
55.3%
in 2025
Years of data
36
1990–2025

Female labor force participation rate in Ghana, 1990–2025

0204060801990200720251990: 70.1 %1991: 70.1 %1992: 69.9 %1993: 69.8 %1994: 69.7 %1995: 69.6 %1996: 69.4 %1997: 69.3 %1998: 69.2 %1999: 69 %2000: 68.9 %2001: 68.8 %2002: 68.6 %2003: 68.5 %2004: 68.4 %2005: 68.2 %2006: 68.1 %2007: 67.9 %2008: 67.8 %2009: 67.7 %2010: 67.5 %2011: 67.4 %2012: 67.3 %2013: 67.1 %2014: 66.1 %2015: 65 %2016: 64 %2017: 63 %2018: 61.5 %2019: 60.1 %2020: 58 %2021: 56.9 %2022: 55.5 %2023: 55.5 %2024: 55.7 %2025: 55.3 %

Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2025, female labor force participation rate in Ghana stood at 55.3%. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.

The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 15.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, female labor force participation rate in Ghana peaked at 70.1% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 55.3%, in 2025.

That places Ghana 79th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 69.6% 69.0% 70.1% 10
2000s 68.3% 67.7% 68.9% 10
2010s 64.9% 60.1% 67.5% 10
2020s 56.1% 55.3% 58.0% 6

Countries ranked near Ghana

  1. 76 Japan 55.9% compare
  2. 78 Germany 55.3% compare
  3. 80 Latvia 55.2% compare
  4. 81 Slovakia 55.1% compare
  5. 82 Austria 55.1% compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More work & labour data for Ghana

All data for Ghana →

Frequently asked questions

What is female labor force participation rate in Ghana?
Female labor force participation rate in Ghana was 55.3% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest female labor force participation rate recorded in Ghana?
The highest recorded value was 70.1% in 1991.
What is the lowest female labor force participation rate recorded in Ghana?
The lowest recorded value was 55.3% in 2025.
How does Ghana rank for female labor force participation rate?
Ghana ranks 79th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
Is female labor force participation rate rising or falling in Ghana?
Over the last ten years it is down 15.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Ghana data come from?
The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, 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
ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
186 places, 6,682 data points, 1990–2025
Last refreshed

Share of the female working-age population (ages 15 and over) who are economically active (employed or unemployed).