Labor force participation rate, female (% of female) … national female in Norway
Norway: Labor force participation rate, female (% of female) … national female was 61.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Norway, 1960–2025
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 Norway is 61.7%, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 9.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Norway peaked at 70.6% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 23.8%, in 1960.
That places Norway 47th out of 196 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 48 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female) … national female in Norway, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 23.8% | — |
| 1970 | 27.7% | +16.2% |
| 1980 | 55.2% | +99.4% |
| 1981 | 56.4% | +2.1% |
| 1982 | 56.4% | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 57.6% | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 58.1% | +0.9% |
| 1985 | 59.6% | +2.4% |
| 1986 | 62.3% | +4.6% |
| 1987 | 63.8% | +2.5% |
| 1988 | 63.7% | -0.2% |
| 1989 | 62.4% | -2.1% |
| 1990 | 62.4% | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 62.3% | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 62.2% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 62.3% | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 62.7% | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 64.5% | +2.9% |
| 1996 | 66.1% | +2.4% |
| 1997 | 67.8% | +2.5% |
| 1998 | 69.2% | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 69.2% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 69.2% | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 69.5% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 70.5% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 69.1% | -1.9% |
| 2004 | 69.1% | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 68.5% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 68.3% | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 69.4% | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 70.6% | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 69.7% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 68.7% | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 68.6% | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 68.4% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 68.4% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 68.2% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 68.2% | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 67.7% | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 67.0% | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 67.1% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 64.5% | -3.9% |
| 2020 | 62.0% | -3.9% |
| 2021 | 60.7% | -2.0% |
| 2022 | 62.2% | +2.4% |
| 2023 | 62.1% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 62.3% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 61.7% | -0.9% |
Norway compared with similar countries
- Norway's 61.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 57.3%, 1.1× the median. (79 countries reporting)
- Norway's 61.7% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 56.9%, 1.1× the median. (54 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Labor force participation rate, female (% of female) … national female in Norway 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | +99.4% | 27.7% | 55.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 23.8% | 23.8% | 23.8% | 1 |
| 1970s | 27.7% | 27.7% | 27.7% | 1 |
| 1980s | 59.6% | 55.2% | 63.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 64.9% | 62.2% | 69.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 69.4% | 68.3% | 70.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 67.7% | 64.5% | 68.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 61.8% | 60.7% | 62.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Norway
More work & labour data for Norway
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.2322 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.2413 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.2229 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.14 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.7506 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 6,138 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 663.52 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,690 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,724 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 5,414 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Norway?
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Norway was 61.7% 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 Norway?
- The highest recorded value was 70.6% in 2008.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) recorded in Norway?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.8% in 1960.
- How does Norway rank for labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages)?
- Norway ranks 47th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) rising or falling in Norway?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Norway 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 — 48 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.