Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Iran, Islamic Republic of

Iran, Islamic Republic of: Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) was 14.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
14.1%
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
194th
of 196 countries
All-time high
18.8%
in 2005
All-time low
9.0%
in 1986
Years of data
26
1966–2024

Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Iran, Islamic Republic of, 1966–2024

051015201966199520241966: 12.21972: 9.81976: 13.41986: 91991: 9.91996: 10.62005: 18.82006: 18.12007: 17.12008: 14.82009: 15.82010: 15.32011: 13.72012: 14.92013: 13.42014: 13.12015: 14.42016: 16.32017: 17.42018: 17.52019: 172020: 13.92021: 13.22022: 13.62023: 14.22024: 14.1

Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).

Analysis

The most recent figure for labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Iran, Islamic Republic of is 14.1%, measured in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and up 8.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Iran, Islamic Republic of peaked at 18.8% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 9.0%, in 1986.

That places Iran, Islamic Republic of 194th out of 196 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.

Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Iran, Islamic Republic of, year by year

Annual values for Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+) (national estimate) in Iran, Islamic Republic of, 1966 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1966 12.2%
1972 9.8% -19.3%
1976 13.4% +36.9%
1986 9.0% -33.3%
1991 9.9% +10.8%
1996 10.6% +7.3%
2005 18.8% +76.6%
2006 18.1% -3.5%
2007 17.1% -5.8%
2008 14.8% -13.1%
2009 15.8% +6.4%
2010 15.3% -3.4%
2011 13.7% -9.9%
2012 14.9% +8.2%
2013 13.4% -9.8%
2014 13.1% -2.7%
2015 14.4% +10.4%
2016 16.3% +12.8%
2017 17.4% +7.0%
2018 17.5% +0.7%
2019 17.0% -3.1%
2020 13.9% -18.3%
2021 13.2% -4.5%
2022 13.6% +2.5%
2023 14.2% +4.7%
2024 14.1% -0.7%

Iran, Islamic Republic of compared with similar countries

  • Iran, Islamic Republic of's 14.1% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 52.0%, 27% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
  • Iran, Islamic Republic of's 14.1% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 26.7%, 53% of the median. (21 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Iran, Islamic Republic of 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.

YearChange FromTo
2005 +76.6% 10.6% 18.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 12.2% 12.2% 12.2% 1
1970s 11.6% 9.8% 13.4% 2
1980s 9.0% 9.0% 9.0% 1
1990s 10.3% 9.9% 10.6% 2
2000s 16.9% 14.8% 18.8% 5
2010s 15.3% 13.1% 17.5% 10
2020s 13.8% 13.2% 14.2% 5

Countries ranked near Iran, Islamic Republic of

  1. 191 Algeria 17.0% compare
  2. 192 Syrian Arab Republic 14.8% compare
  3. 193 Sudan 14.4% compare
  4. 195 Iraq 10.8% compare
  5. 196 Yemen 6.0% compare

See the full ranking of 220 places →

More work & labour data for Iran, Islamic Republic of

All data for Iran, Islamic Republic of →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Iran, Islamic Republic of was 14.1% in 2024, 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 Iran, Islamic Republic of?
The highest recorded value was 18.8% in 2005.
What is the lowest labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
The lowest recorded value was 9.0% in 1986.
How does Iran, Islamic Republic of rank for labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages)?
Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 194th out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
Is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) rising or falling in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
Over the last ten years it is up 8.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Iran, Islamic Republic of 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 — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Iran, Islamic Republic of. Statizoid, drawing on Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/labor-force-participation-rate-female-percent-of-female-population-ages-15-national/iran-islamic-rep/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/labor-force-participation-rate-female-percent-of-female-population-ages-15-national/iran-islamic-rep/">Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Iran, Islamic Republic of</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+) (national estimate)
Source
Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
220 places, 5,454 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

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.