Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Korea
Korea: Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) was 64.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Korea, 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 Korea stood at 64.4%. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 10.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Korea peaked at 64.4% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 49.8%, in 1990.
That places Korea 80th out of 187 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.
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 49.8% | — |
| 1991 | 49.9% | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 49.8% | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 50.0% | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 50.8% | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 51.4% | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 51.9% | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 52.9% | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 50.3% | -5.0% |
| 1999 | 50.8% | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 52.4% | +3.2% |
| 2001 | 53.3% | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 53.8% | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 53.2% | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 54.6% | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 54.7% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 55.0% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 54.9% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 54.8% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 54.1% | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 54.6% | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 55.0% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 55.3% | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 56.0% | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 57.2% | +2.3% |
| 2015 | 58.2% | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 58.6% | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 59.2% | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 59.6% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 60.1% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 59.2% | -1.5% |
| 2021 | 60.1% | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 62.1% | +3.3% |
| 2023 | 63.2% | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 64.1% | +1.3% |
| 2025 | 64.4% | +0.5% |
Korea compared with similar countries
- Korea's 64.4% is below the median for high income countries, which is 71.9%, 90% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Korea's 64.4% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 64.4%, 1.0× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 50.8% | 49.8% | 52.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 54.1% | 52.4% | 55.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 57.4% | 54.6% | 60.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 62.2% | 59.2% | 64.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Korea
- 77 Burkina Faso 65.5% compare
- 78 Lao People's Democratic Republic 64.7% compare
- 79 Channel Islands 64.5% compare
- 81 Kenya 63.8% compare
- 82 Georgia 63.8% compare
- 83 Qatar 63.6% compare
More work & labour data for Korea
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 16,840 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 63.91 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 29,824 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 2.96 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 0.78 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 97,052 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 65,686 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 62.02 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 0.9719 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate -0.1065 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Korea?
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Korea was 64.4% 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 Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 64.4% in 2025.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) recorded in Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.8% in 1990.
- How does Korea rank for labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages)?
- Korea ranks 80th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) rising or falling in Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Korea 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.