Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Kenya
Kenya: Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) was 63.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Kenya, 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 Kenya stood at 63.0%.
That represents a change of down 11.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Kenya peaked at 71.4% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 62.2%, in 2020.
That places Kenya 29th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 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 Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 69.7% | — |
| 1991 | 69.8% | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 69.9% | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 69.9% | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 70.0% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 70.1% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 70.2% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 70.2% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 70.3% | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 70.4% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 70.5% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 70.5% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 70.6% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 70.6% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 70.7% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 70.8% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 70.8% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 70.9% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 70.9% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 71.0% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 71.1% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 71.1% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 71.2% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 71.2% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 71.3% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 71.4% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 71.4% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 68.7% | -3.8% |
| 2018 | 65.8% | -4.2% |
| 2019 | 62.8% | -4.6% |
| 2020 | 62.2% | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 62.7% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 62.8% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 62.9% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 63.0% | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 63.0% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 70.1% | 69.7% | 70.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 70.7% | 70.5% | 71.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 69.6% | 62.8% | 71.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 62.8% | 62.2% | 63.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 26 Botswana 63.7% compare
- 27 Singapore 63.6% compare
- 28 Macau, China 63.1% compare
- 30 Jamaica 63.0% compare
- 31 Netherlands 62.7% compare
- 32 Kazakhstan 62.6% compare
More work & labour data for Kenya
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.0278 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.0507 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0073 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.2281 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.98 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 44,185 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 51,282 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 53,727 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 50,468 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 104,196 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Kenya?
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Kenya was 63.0% 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 71.4% in 2016.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 62.2% in 2020.
- How does Kenya rank for labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages)?
- Kenya ranks 29th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya 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.