Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) was 5.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Afghanistan, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Afghanistan is 5.1%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 73.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Afghanistan peaked at 21.2% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 5.1%, in 2025.
That places Afghanistan 186th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
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 Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 15.7% | — |
| 1991 | 15.7% | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 15.6% | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 15.5% | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 15.4% | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 15.2% | -1.1% |
| 1996 | 15.0% | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 14.8% | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 14.6% | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 14.4% | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 14.3% | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 14.2% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 14.2% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 14.2% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 14.2% | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 14.3% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 14.5% | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 14.7% | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 14.9% | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 15.2% | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 15.6% | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 15.9% | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 16.2% | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 17.1% | +5.7% |
| 2014 | 18.1% | +5.7% |
| 2015 | 19.1% | +5.6% |
| 2016 | 20.2% | +5.5% |
| 2017 | 21.2% | +5.4% |
| 2018 | 19.8% | -6.8% |
| 2019 | 18.3% | -7.6% |
| 2020 | 16.5% | -10.0% |
| 2021 | 14.6% | -11.3% |
| 2022 | 5.2% | -64.7% |
| 2023 | 5.1% | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 5.1% | -0.4% |
| 2025 | 5.1% | -0.7% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 5.1% is below the median for low income countries, which is 60.3%, 8% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 5.1% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 22.2%, 23% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Afghanistan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -64.7% | 14.6% | 5.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15.2% | 14.4% | 15.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.5% | 14.2% | 15.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.2% | 15.6% | 21.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.6% | 5.1% | 16.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
- 183 Iran, Islamic Republic of 14.0% compare
- 184 Syrian Arab Republic 12.7% compare
- 185 Iraq 10.9% compare
- 187 Yemen 4.7% compare
More work & labour data for Afghanistan
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.4637 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.4511 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.4755 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.088 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.67 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 25,498 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 36,430 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 65,039 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 65,177 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 130,217 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Afghanistan?
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Afghanistan was 5.1% 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 Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 21.2% in 2017.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.1% in 2025.
- How does Afghanistan rank for labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages)?
- Afghanistan ranks 186th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 73.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Afghanistan 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+) (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
The labor force participation rate is the labor force as a percent of the population ages 15 and older. The labor force is the sum of all persons of working age who are employed and those who are unemployed.