Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Portugal
Portugal: Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) was 55.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Portugal, 1960–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Portugal stood at 55.7%.
The figure is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 3.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Portugal peaked at 56.0% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 17.0%, in 1960.
Portugal ranks 92nd of 196 countries on this measure, 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 Portugal, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 17.0% | — |
| 1970 | 24.6% | +44.9% |
| 1978 | 44.7% | +81.6% |
| 1979 | 46.9% | +5.1% |
| 1980 | 46.3% | -1.4% |
| 1981 | 47.0% | +1.4% |
| 1982 | 46.5% | -0.9% |
| 1984 | 47.3% | +1.6% |
| 1985 | 46.2% | -2.3% |
| 1986 | 45.5% | -1.5% |
| 1987 | 46.3% | +1.8% |
| 1988 | 46.6% | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 47.2% | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 47.5% | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 49.9% | +5.0% |
| 1992 | 49.5% | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 49.5% | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 49.6% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 49.5% | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 49.3% | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 49.4% | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 51.9% | +4.9% |
| 1999 | 52.3% | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 52.7% | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 53.4% | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 54.1% | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 54.8% | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 54.3% | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 55.3% | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 55.5% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 56.0% | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 55.8% | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 55.6% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 55.9% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 54.5% | -2.4% |
| 2012 | 54.6% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 54.1% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 53.7% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 53.6% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 53.4% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 54.0% | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 54.3% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 54.5% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 53.1% | -2.5% |
| 2021 | 52.8% | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 53.8% | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 54.9% | +2.0% |
| 2024 | 55.0% | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 55.7% | +1.3% |
Portugal compared with similar countries
- Portugal's 55.7% is below the median for high income countries, which is 57.2%, 97% of the median. (79 countries reporting)
- Portugal's 55.7% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 56.9%, 98% of the median. (54 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Portugal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | +81.6% | 24.6% | 44.7% |
| 1970 | +44.9% | 17.0% | 24.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 17.0% | 17.0% | 17.0% | 1 |
| 1970s | 38.7% | 24.6% | 46.9% | 3 |
| 1980s | 46.5% | 45.5% | 47.3% | 9 |
| 1990s | 49.8% | 47.5% | 52.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 54.8% | 52.7% | 56.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 54.2% | 53.4% | 55.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 54.2% | 52.8% | 55.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
More work & labour data for Portugal
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.0538 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.055 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0528 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.28 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.1795 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 7,134 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,861 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 4,504 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 4,250 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 8,754 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Portugal?
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Portugal was 55.7% 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 Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 56.0% in 2007.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.0% in 1960.
- How does Portugal rank for labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages)?
- Portugal ranks 92nd out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Portugal 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.