Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD): Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) was 19.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) recorded 19.0% for labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in 2025.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 9.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) peaked at 21.1% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 15.5%, in 1990.
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 46th of 47 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 15.5% | — |
| 1991 | 16.3% | +5.4% |
| 1992 | 16.5% | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 16.6% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 17.0% | +2.4% |
| 1995 | 16.1% | -4.9% |
| 1996 | 16.5% | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 16.8% | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 16.9% | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 17.5% | +3.3% |
| 2000 | 17.8% | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 17.9% | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 17.7% | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 18.2% | +3.0% |
| 2004 | 18.7% | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 19.3% | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 19.5% | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 19.8% | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 19.4% | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 20.1% | +3.4% |
| 2010 | 20.4% | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 20.1% | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 20.3% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 20.3% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 20.5% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 21.0% | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 21.1% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 20.7% | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 19.7% | -5.0% |
| 2019 | 19.8% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 18.7% | -5.5% |
| 2021 | 19.0% | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 18.4% | -2.9% |
| 2023 | 19.1% | +3.5% |
| 2024 | 19.0% | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 19.0% | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16.6% | 15.5% | 17.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.8% | 17.7% | 20.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.4% | 19.7% | 21.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.9% | 18.4% | 19.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)
More work & labour data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 71.7% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 25.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 17.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 47.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 75.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 32.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 44.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 13.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 50.1% (2025)
- Wage and salaried workers, male (% of male employment) 56.0% (2025)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) was 19.0% 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
- The highest recorded value was 21.1% in 2016.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.5% in 1990.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) rank for labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages)?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 46th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.