Female labor force participation rates in Nepal
Nepal: Female labor force participation rates was 27.47 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
27.47
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
167th
of 186 countries
All-time high
27.63
in 2018
All-time low
20.63
in 1990
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Female labor force participation rates in Nepal, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for female labor force participation rates in Nepal is 27.47, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female labor force participation rates in Nepal peaked at 27.63 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 20.63, in 1990.
Nepal ranks 167th of 186 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Female labor force participation rates in Nepal, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 20.63 | — |
| 1991 | 20.69 | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 20.79 | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 20.85 | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 20.84 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 20.81 | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 20.79 | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 20.84 | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 20.95 | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 21.11 | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 21.28 | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 21.5 | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 21.72 | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 21.95 | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 22.21 | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 22.5 | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 22.83 | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 23.18 | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 23.61 | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 24.11 | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 24.65 | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 25.22 | +2.3% |
| 2012 | 25.73 | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 26.16 | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 26.57 | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 27.01 | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 27.35 | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 27.53 | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 27.63 | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 27.54 | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 27.21 | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 27.26 | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 27.24 | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 27.3 | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 27.38 | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 27.47 | +0.3% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 27.47 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 49.67, 55% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 27.47 is below the median for South Asia, which is 35.54, 77% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 20.83 | 20.63 | 21.11 | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.49 | 21.28 | 24.11 | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.54 | 24.65 | 27.63 | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.31 | 27.21 | 27.47 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
More work & labour data for Nepal
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.593 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.568 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.6174 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.8524 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.99 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 13,496 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 22,611 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 16,146 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 15,685 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 31,831 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female labor force participation rates in Nepal?
- Female labor force participation rates in Nepal was 27.47 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female labor force participation rates recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 27.63 in 2018.
- What is the lowest female labor force participation rates recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.63 in 1990.
- How does Nepal rank for female labor force participation rates?
- Nepal ranks 167th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is female labor force participation rates rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nepal 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).