Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Europe & Central Asia
Europe & Central Asia: Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) was 52.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Europe & Central Asia, 1989–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Europe & Central Asia stood at 52.6%.
The figure is down 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Europe & Central Asia peaked at 53.5% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 48.5%, in 2001.
That places Europe & Central Asia 7th out of 24 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Europe & Central Asia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 49.1% | — |
| 1992 | 51.3% | +4.5% |
| 1993 | 50.6% | -1.5% |
| 1994 | 50.1% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 51.3% | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 49.7% | -3.1% |
| 1997 | 49.1% | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 50.3% | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 51.1% | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 49.2% | -3.7% |
| 2001 | 48.5% | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 49.9% | +3.0% |
| 2003 | 49.8% | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 49.9% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 49.9% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 50.2% | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 50.8% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 51.4% | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 52.0% | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 52.2% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 52.3% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 52.6% | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 53.0% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 52.8% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 53.5% | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 53.1% | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 52.4% | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 51.8% | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 51.9% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 50.5% | -2.7% |
| 2021 | 51.1% | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 52.1% | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 52.3% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 52.6% | +0.7% |
| 2025 | 52.6% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 49.1% | 49.1% | 49.1% | 1 |
| 1990s | 50.5% | 49.1% | 51.3% | 8 |
| 2000s | 50.2% | 48.5% | 52.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 52.6% | 51.8% | 53.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 51.9% | 50.5% | 52.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia
- 4 Nigeria 80.5% compare
- 5 Isle of Man 80.1% compare
- 6 Faroe Islands 79.4% compare
- 7 Burundi 78.3% compare
- 8 Mozambique 77.2% compare
- 9 Benin 74.7% compare
- 10 Uganda 74.7% compare
More work & labour data for Europe & Central Asia
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 51.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 58.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 35.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 44.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 40.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 66.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 72.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 79.3% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 78.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 65.9% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Europe & Central Asia?
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Europe & Central Asia was 52.6% 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 Europe & Central Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 53.5% in 2015.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) recorded in Europe & Central Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.5% in 2001.
- How does Europe & Central Asia rank for labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages)?
- Europe & Central Asia ranks 7th out of 24 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia 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.
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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.