Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) was 53.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Sierra Leone, 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 Sierra Leone stood at 53.1%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 6.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Sierra Leone peaked at 68.6% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 52.4%, in 2020.
That places Sierra Leone 130th 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 Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 68.2% | — |
| 1991 | 68.2% | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 68.1% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 68.0% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 67.9% | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 67.8% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 67.8% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 67.7% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 67.6% | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 67.5% | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 67.5% | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 67.4% | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 67.4% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 67.4% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 68.6% | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 67.6% | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 66.6% | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 65.5% | -1.6% |
| 2008 | 64.5% | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 63.4% | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 62.4% | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 61.3% | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 60.2% | -1.8% |
| 2013 | 59.1% | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 58.0% | -1.9% |
| 2015 | 56.7% | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 55.4% | -2.3% |
| 2017 | 54.1% | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 52.8% | -2.4% |
| 2019 | 53.0% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 52.4% | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 52.8% | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 53.0% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 53.2% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 53.3% | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 53.1% | -0.4% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 53.1% is below the median for low income countries, which is 61.6%, 86% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 53.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 59.0%, 90% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 67.9% | 67.5% | 68.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 66.6% | 63.4% | 68.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 57.3% | 52.8% | 62.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 53.0% | 52.4% | 53.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 127 French Polynesia 54.2% compare
- 128 Costa Rica 53.5% compare
- 129 El Salvador 53.3% compare
- 131 Philippines 52.8% compare
- 132 Bosnia and Herzegovina 52.5% compare
- 133 Mexico 51.9% compare
More work & labour data for Sierra Leone
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.1141 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.1389 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.091 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.2881 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.17 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 7,725 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,247 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 8,103 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 7,832 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 15,934 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Sierra Leone?
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Sierra Leone was 53.1% 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 Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 68.6% in 2004.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 52.4% in 2020.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages)?
- Sierra Leone ranks 130th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sierra Leone 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.