Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) was 38.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Bangladesh, 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 Bangladesh stood at 38.6%.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 15.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Bangladesh peaked at 43.7% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 24.2%, in 1990.
That places Bangladesh 154th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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 Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 24.2% | — |
| 1991 | 24.6% | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 25.0% | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 25.4% | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 25.9% | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 26.5% | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 27.0% | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 27.5% | +1.9% |
| 1998 | 28.0% | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 28.3% | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 28.7% | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 28.9% | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 29.0% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 29.1% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 29.1% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 29.2% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 29.2% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 30.8% | +5.3% |
| 2008 | 32.4% | +5.2% |
| 2009 | 34.0% | +5.1% |
| 2010 | 35.7% | +4.9% |
| 2011 | 35.0% | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 34.3% | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 33.6% | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 33.6% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 33.5% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 33.5% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 36.7% | +9.5% |
| 2018 | 38.1% | +3.8% |
| 2019 | 39.3% | +3.3% |
| 2020 | 40.3% | +2.5% |
| 2021 | 42.2% | +4.6% |
| 2022 | 43.7% | +3.6% |
| 2023 | 41.9% | -4.1% |
| 2024 | 38.7% | -7.6% |
| 2025 | 38.6% | -0.2% |
Bangladesh compared with similar countries
- Bangladesh's 38.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 49.7%, 78% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Bangladesh's 38.6% is above the median for South Asia, which is 35.5%, 1.1× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 26.2% | 24.2% | 28.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 30.0% | 28.7% | 34.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.3% | 33.5% | 39.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 40.9% | 38.6% | 43.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
More work & labour data for Bangladesh
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.4985 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.4763 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.5215 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.28 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.22 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 117,837 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 84,090 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 104,333 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 104,263 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 208,597 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Bangladesh?
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Bangladesh was 38.6% 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 Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 43.7% in 2022.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.2% in 1990.
- How does Bangladesh rank for labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages)?
- Bangladesh ranks 154th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bangladesh 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.