Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)
Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries): Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) was 48.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries), 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) recorded 48.6% for labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and up 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 52.7% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 47.3%, in 2020.
Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 34th of 47 groups on this measure, 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 Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 52.7% | — |
| 1991 | 52.5% | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 51.9% | -1.1% |
| 1993 | 50.5% | -2.8% |
| 1994 | 50.3% | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 50.0% | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 49.4% | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 48.6% | -1.6% |
| 1998 | 48.2% | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 49.5% | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 49.0% | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 48.6% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 48.8% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 48.4% | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 47.9% | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 47.9% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 48.0% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 48.1% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 48.1% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 48.2% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 48.4% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 48.6% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 48.6% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 48.5% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 48.4% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 48.4% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 48.5% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 48.5% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 48.5% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 48.2% | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 47.3% | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 47.9% | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 48.7% | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 48.9% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 49.0% | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 48.6% | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 50.4% | 48.2% | 52.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 48.3% | 47.9% | 49.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.5% | 48.2% | 48.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 48.4% | 47.3% | 49.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)
- 31 Netherlands 62.7% compare
- 32 Kazakhstan 62.6% compare
- 33 Australia 62.5% compare
- 34 Israel 62.3% compare
- 35 Switzerland 62.2% compare
- 36 Zimbabwe 62.2% compare
- 37 Norway 62.1% compare
More work & labour data for Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 71.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 58.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 29.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 41.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 35.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 68.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 78.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 69.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 60.3% (2025)
- Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) 79.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) was 48.6% 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 Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 52.7% in 1990.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) recorded in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.3% in 2020.
- How does Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages)?
- Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 34th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) 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.