Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Belgium
Belgium: Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) was 51.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Belgium, 1961–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Belgium stood at 51.6%. That is the highest value across all 49 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 7.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Belgium peaked at 51.6% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 25.5%, in 1961.
Belgium ranks 118th of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 49 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Belgium, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 25.5% | — |
| 1970 | 28.1% | +10.2% |
| 1977 | 28.7% | +2.2% |
| 1979 | 30.2% | +5.1% |
| 1980 | 30.7% | +1.6% |
| 1981 | 28.5% | -7.1% |
| 1983 | 36.3% | +27.3% |
| 1984 | 36.1% | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 36.5% | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 36.9% | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 36.6% | -1.0% |
| 1988 | 36.5% | -0.3% |
| 1989 | 36.2% | -0.7% |
| 1990 | 36.6% | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 38.0% | +4.0% |
| 1992 | 38.9% | +2.4% |
| 1993 | 39.6% | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 40.2% | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 40.5% | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 40.6% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 41.0% | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 41.7% | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 43.2% | +3.6% |
| 2000 | 43.6% | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 41.9% | -4.1% |
| 2002 | 42.6% | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 42.9% | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 44.2% | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 45.7% | +3.3% |
| 2006 | 45.8% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 46.5% | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 46.9% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 47.0% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 47.7% | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 47.0% | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 47.1% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 47.8% | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 48.1% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 48.0% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 47.8% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 48.7% | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 49.5% | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 49.8% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 49.3% | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 50.0% | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 50.8% | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 50.7% | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 50.7% | -0.0% |
| 2025 | 51.6% | +1.8% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 51.6% is below the median for high income countries, which is 57.2%, 90% of the median. (79 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 51.6% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 56.9%, 91% of the median. (54 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Belgium 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | +27.3% | 28.5% | 36.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 25.5% | 25.5% | 25.5% | 1 |
| 1970s | 29.0% | 28.1% | 30.2% | 3 |
| 1980s | 34.9% | 28.5% | 36.9% | 9 |
| 1990s | 40.0% | 36.6% | 43.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 44.7% | 41.9% | 47.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.2% | 47.0% | 49.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 50.5% | 49.3% | 51.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More work & labour data for Belgium
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.1652 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.1676 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.1614 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.59 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.1395 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 12,349 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 139 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 5,498 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 5,563 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 11,061 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Belgium?
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Belgium was 51.6% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 51.6% in 2025.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.5% in 1961.
- How does Belgium rank for labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages)?
- Belgium ranks 118th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 49 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Labor force participation rate is the proportion of the population ages 15 and older that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.