Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Ireland
Ireland: Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) was 61.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Ireland, 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 Ireland stood at 61.3%. That is the highest value across all 49 years on record.
The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 11.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Ireland peaked at 61.3% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 28.2%, in 1971.
That places Ireland 50th out of 196 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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 Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 29.7% | — |
| 1966 | 29.4% | -1.0% |
| 1971 | 28.2% | -4.2% |
| 1975 | 29.8% | +5.7% |
| 1977 | 28.2% | -5.3% |
| 1981 | 29.7% | +5.5% |
| 1983 | 34.2% | +15.0% |
| 1984 | 33.5% | -2.1% |
| 1985 | 33.3% | -0.6% |
| 1986 | 33.8% | +1.6% |
| 1987 | 34.9% | +3.1% |
| 1988 | 34.4% | -1.5% |
| 1989 | 34.6% | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 35.4% | +2.3% |
| 1991 | 36.0% | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 36.8% | +2.1% |
| 1993 | 38.6% | +4.7% |
| 1994 | 39.5% | +2.4% |
| 1995 | 39.9% | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 41.5% | +4.0% |
| 1997 | 42.7% | +2.7% |
| 1998 | 43.9% | +3.0% |
| 1999 | 45.9% | +4.5% |
| 2000 | 47.2% | +2.7% |
| 2001 | 47.6% | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 48.8% | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 49.1% | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 49.4% | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 51.4% | +4.0% |
| 2006 | 52.6% | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 57.0% | +8.3% |
| 2008 | 56.8% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 56.1% | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 55.3% | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 55.0% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 54.8% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 55.3% | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 54.9% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 54.9% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 55.6% | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 55.6% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 56.0% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 56.2% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 55.1% | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 58.0% | +5.3% |
| 2022 | 59.4% | +2.4% |
| 2023 | 60.6% | +2.0% |
| 2024 | 60.9% | +0.5% |
| 2025 | 61.3% | +0.7% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 61.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 57.2%, 1.1× the median. (79 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 61.3% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 56.9%, 1.1× the median. (54 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 29.6% | 29.4% | 29.7% | 2 |
| 1970s | 28.7% | 28.2% | 29.8% | 3 |
| 1980s | 33.6% | 29.7% | 34.9% | 8 |
| 1990s | 40.0% | 35.4% | 45.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 51.6% | 47.2% | 57.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 55.4% | 54.8% | 56.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 59.2% | 55.1% | 61.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More work & labour data for Ireland
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.4488 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.4574 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.4405 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.23 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.9335 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 4,354 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,447 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,638 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,649 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 5,286 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Ireland?
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Ireland was 61.3% 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 Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 61.3% in 2025.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.2% in 1971.
- How does Ireland rank for labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages)?
- Ireland ranks 50th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland 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.