Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in World
World: Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) was 48.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in World, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
World recorded 48.9% for labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in World peaked at 51.2% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 47.0%, in 2020.
World ranks 33rd 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 World, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 51.2% | — |
| 1991 | 51.1% | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 51.1% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 50.8% | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 50.9% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 50.9% | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 50.8% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 50.9% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 50.9% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 51.0% | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 51.0% | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 50.8% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 50.7% | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 50.7% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 50.6% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 50.6% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 50.4% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 50.2% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 49.9% | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 49.7% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 49.4% | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 49.2% | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 48.9% | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 48.7% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 48.6% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 48.5% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 48.5% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 48.4% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 48.3% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 48.3% | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 47.0% | -2.7% |
| 2021 | 47.9% | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 48.3% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 49.0% | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 49.1% | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 48.9% | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 51.0% | 50.8% | 51.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 50.5% | 49.7% | 51.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.7% | 48.3% | 49.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 48.4% | 47.0% | 49.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near World
- 30 Jamaica 63.0% compare
- 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
More work & labour data for World
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.1226 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.1316 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.1143 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.688 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.1 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 6.68 million 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 3.09 million 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 5.10 million 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 5.08 million 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 10.18 million 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in World?
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in World was 48.9% 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 World?
- The highest recorded value was 51.2% in 1990.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.0% in 2020.
- How does World rank for labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages)?
- World ranks 33rd out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this World 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.