Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Switzerland
Switzerland: Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) was 62.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Switzerland, 1960–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Switzerland recorded 62.8% for labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in 2025.
The figure is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Switzerland peaked at 63.0% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 31.7%, in 1978.
Switzerland ranks 43rd of 196 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Switzerland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 35.3% | — |
| 1970 | 41.5% | +17.6% |
| 1978 | 31.7% | -23.7% |
| 1979 | 32.0% | +1.1% |
| 1980 | 42.1% | +31.5% |
| 1985 | 37.4% | -11.2% |
| 1986 | 37.5% | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 38.5% | +2.5% |
| 1989 | 39.1% | +1.7% |
| 1990 | 49.3% | +26.2% |
| 1991 | 52.0% | +5.4% |
| 1992 | 52.2% | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 52.9% | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 52.2% | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 52.1% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 57.0% | +9.2% |
| 1997 | 56.9% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 58.1% | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 58.2% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 57.6% | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 58.8% | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 59.3% | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 59.5% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 59.1% | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 59.3% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 59.8% | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 59.9% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 61.3% | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 61.6% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 60.0% | -2.6% |
| 2011 | 60.5% | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 60.8% | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 61.1% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 61.9% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 62.3% | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 62.8% | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 62.6% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 62.9% | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 63.0% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 62.5% | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 62.5% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 61.9% | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 62.6% | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 62.9% | +0.6% |
| 2025 | 62.8% | -0.3% |
Switzerland compared with similar countries
- Switzerland's 62.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 57.2%, 1.1× the median. (79 countries reporting)
- Switzerland's 62.8% 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 population ages) in Switzerland 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 | +31.5% | 32.0% | 42.1% |
| 1990 | +26.2% | 39.1% | 49.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 35.3% | 35.3% | 35.3% | 1 |
| 1970s | 35.1% | 31.7% | 41.5% | 3 |
| 1980s | 38.9% | 37.4% | 42.1% | 5 |
| 1990s | 54.1% | 49.3% | 58.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 59.6% | 57.6% | 61.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 61.8% | 60.0% | 63.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 62.5% | 61.9% | 62.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
- 40 Seychelles 63.3% compare
- 41 Australia 63.2% compare
- 42 Saint Lucia 62.9% compare
- 44 Singapore 62.5% compare
- 45 Azerbaijan 61.9% compare
- 45 Estonia 61.9% compare
More work & labour data for Switzerland
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.0651 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.0485 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.0817 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.4 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.6452 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 8,038 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,842 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 4,568 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 4,558 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 9,126 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Switzerland?
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Switzerland was 62.8% 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 Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 63.0% in 2019.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.7% in 1978.
- How does Switzerland rank for labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages)?
- Switzerland ranks 43rd out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Switzerland 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 — 45 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.