Female labor force participation rates in Japan

Japan: Female labor force participation rates was 55.91 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
55.91
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
76th
of 186 countries
All-time high
55.91
in 2025
All-time low
48.03
in 2012
Years of data
36
1990–2025

Female labor force participation rates in Japan, 1990–2025

02040601990200720251990: 50.11991: 50.61992: 50.71993: 50.31994: 50.11995: 49.91996: 501997: 50.31998: 50.11999: 49.52000: 49.22001: 49.12002: 48.52003: 48.22004: 48.22005: 48.32006: 48.42007: 48.42008: 48.42009: 48.42010: 48.32011: 48.12012: 482013: 48.72014: 49.22015: 49.42016: 50.22017: 512018: 52.42019: 53.22020: 53.12021: 53.52022: 54.22023: 54.82024: 55.62025: 55.9

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

Japan recorded 55.91 for female labor force participation rates in 2025. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.

That represents a change of up 0.6% on the previous year and up 13.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, female labor force participation rates in Japan peaked at 55.91 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 48.03, in 2012.

That places Japan 76th 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 50.15 49.52 50.67 10
2000s 48.49 48.16 49.19 10
2010s 49.86 48.03 53.24 10
2020s 54.51 53.09 55.91 6

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 73 Finland 56.49 compare
  2. 74 Zambia 56.43 compare
  3. 75 United States 56.34 compare
  4. 77 Malta 55.8 compare
  5. 78 Germany 55.29 compare
  6. 79 Ghana 55.27 compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More work & labour data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is female labor force participation rates in Japan?
Female labor force participation rates in Japan was 55.91 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest female labor force participation rates recorded in Japan?
The highest recorded value was 55.91 in 2025.
What is the lowest female labor force participation rates recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 48.03 in 2012.
How does Japan rank for female labor force participation rates?
Japan ranks 76th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
Is female labor force participation rates rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is up 13.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Japan 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.

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About this data

Indicator
Female labor force participation rates
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
186 places, 6,682 data points, 1990–2025
Last refreshed