Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) was 60.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Ethiopia, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Ethiopia stood at 60.3%.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 16.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Ethiopia peaked at 76.8% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 59.2%, in 2021.
That places Ethiopia 98th out of 187 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.
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 76.8% | — |
| 1991 | 76.8% | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 76.7% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 76.7% | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 76.7% | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 76.6% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 76.6% | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 76.5% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 76.5% | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 76.4% | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 76.4% | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 76.4% | -0.0% |
| 2002 | 76.4% | -0.0% |
| 2003 | 76.4% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 76.4% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 76.4% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 76.4% | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 76.4% | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 76.4% | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 76.4% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 76.4% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 76.5% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 76.5% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 76.5% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 74.4% | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 72.3% | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 70.2% | -2.9% |
| 2017 | 68.1% | -3.0% |
| 2018 | 66.0% | -3.1% |
| 2019 | 63.8% | -3.2% |
| 2020 | 61.0% | -4.4% |
| 2021 | 59.2% | -3.0% |
| 2022 | 59.8% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 59.9% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 60.2% | +0.5% |
| 2025 | 60.3% | +0.2% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 60.3% is below the median for low income countries, which is 61.6%, 98% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 60.3% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 59.0%, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 76.6% | 76.4% | 76.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 76.4% | 76.4% | 76.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 72.1% | 63.8% | 76.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 60.1% | 59.2% | 61.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
- 95 Panama 61.1% compare
- 96 Côte d'Ivoire 60.9% compare
- 97 Haiti 60.4% compare
- 99 Rwanda 60.1% compare
- 100 Brunei Darussalam 59.8% compare
- 101 New Caledonia 59.7% compare
More work & labour data for Ethiopia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.4782 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.4959 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.4604 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.1765 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.96 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 74,537 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 116,333 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 183,282 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 184,008 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 367,290 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Ethiopia?
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Ethiopia was 60.3% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 76.8% in 1990.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 59.2% in 2021.
- How does Ethiopia rank for labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages)?
- Ethiopia ranks 98th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Labor force participation rate is the proportion of the population ages 15-64 that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.