Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Malaysia
Malaysia: Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) was 55.8% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Malaysia, 1970–2022
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2022, labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Malaysia stood at 55.8%. That is the highest value across all 41 years on record.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 12.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Malaysia peaked at 55.8% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 35.6%, in 1991.
That places Malaysia 91st out of 196 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 41 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 35.8% | — |
| 1980 | 36.8% | +2.7% |
| 1982 | 44.5% | +20.9% |
| 1983 | 45.7% | +2.8% |
| 1984 | 45.2% | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 45.9% | +1.6% |
| 1986 | 46.4% | +1.1% |
| 1987 | 47.5% | +2.3% |
| 1988 | 47.5% | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 46.7% | -1.7% |
| 1990 | 47.8% | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 35.6% | -25.4% |
| 1992 | 46.9% | +31.7% |
| 1993 | 46.5% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 44.7% | -4.0% |
| 1996 | 46.8% | +4.7% |
| 1997 | 46.0% | -1.7% |
| 1998 | 44.4% | -3.4% |
| 1999 | 44.7% | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 47.6% | +6.5% |
| 2001 | 46.8% | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 46.7% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 47.7% | +2.2% |
| 2004 | 47.2% | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 45.9% | -2.8% |
| 2007 | 46.4% | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 45.7% | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 46.4% | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 46.5% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 48.0% | +3.2% |
| 2012 | 49.5% | +3.1% |
| 2013 | 52.6% | +6.3% |
| 2014 | 53.7% | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 54.1% | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 54.3% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 54.7% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 55.2% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 55.6% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 55.3% | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 55.5% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 55.8% | +0.5% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 55.8% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 52.0%, 1.1× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 55.8% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 54.1%, 1.0× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Malaysia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | +31.7% | 35.6% | 46.9% |
| 1991 | -25.4% | 47.8% | 35.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 35.8% | 35.8% | 35.8% | 1 |
| 1980s | 45.1% | 36.8% | 47.5% | 9 |
| 1990s | 44.8% | 35.6% | 47.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 46.7% | 45.7% | 47.7% | 9 |
| 2010s | 52.4% | 46.5% | 55.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 55.5% | 55.3% | 55.8% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More work & labour data for Malaysia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.2671 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.2772 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.2563 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.25 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.6933 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 36,440 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,289 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 21,832 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 22,194 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 44,026 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Malaysia?
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Malaysia was 55.8% in 2022, 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 55.8% in 2022.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.6% in 1991.
- How does Malaysia rank for labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages)?
- Malaysia ranks 91st out of 196 countries with data for 2022.
- Is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia 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 — 41 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.