Labor force participation rates for women ages 15 24 2020 vs 1980 in India
India: Labor force participation rates for women ages 15 24 2020 vs 1980 was 16.49 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rates for women ages 15 24 2020 vs 1980 in India, 1971–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for labor force participation rates for women ages 15 24 2020 vs 1980 in India is 16.49, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 2.4% on the previous year and down 5.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rates for women ages 15 24 2020 vs 1980 in India peaked at 33.81 in 1981 and was at its lowest, 9.97, in 2018.
That places India 157th out of 171 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 17 years of available data.
Labor force participation rates for women ages 15 24 2020 vs 1980 in India, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 16.67 | — |
| 1981 | 33.81 | +102.8% |
| 1991 | 29.82 | -11.8% |
| 1994 | 25.8 | -13.5% |
| 2000 | 24.11 | -6.6% |
| 2001 | 29.95 | +24.2% |
| 2005 | 27.79 | -7.2% |
| 2010 | 19.22 | -30.8% |
| 2012 | 17.43 | -9.3% |
| 2018 | 9.97 | -42.8% |
| 2019 | 12.05 | +20.9% |
| 2020 | 12.29 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 12.18 | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 13.05 | +7.1% |
| 2023 | 17.45 | +33.7% |
| 2024 | 16.9 | -3.2% |
| 2025 | 16.49 | -2.4% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 16.49 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 32.74, 50% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
- India's 16.49 is below the median for South Asia, which is 23.17, 71% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Labor force participation rates for women ages 15 24 2020 vs 1980 in India 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | +102.8% | 16.67 | 33.81 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 16.67 | 16.67 | 16.67 | 1 |
| 1980s | 33.81 | 33.81 | 33.81 | 1 |
| 1990s | 27.81 | 25.8 | 29.82 | 2 |
| 2000s | 27.28 | 24.11 | 29.95 | 3 |
| 2010s | 14.67 | 9.97 | 19.22 | 4 |
| 2020s | 14.73 | 12.18 | 17.45 | 6 |
Countries ranked near India
More work & labour data for India
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.5076 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.5076 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.5078 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.12 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.47 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 876,613 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 782,365 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 743,542 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 761,710 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 1.51 million 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rates for women ages 15 24 2020 vs 1980 in India?
- Labor force participation rates for women ages 15 24 2020 vs 1980 in India was 16.49 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rates for women ages 15 24 2020 vs 1980 recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 33.81 in 1981.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rates for women ages 15 24 2020 vs 1980 recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.97 in 2018.
- How does India rank for labor force participation rates for women ages 15 24 2020 vs 1980?
- India ranks 157th out of 171 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rates for women ages 15 24 2020 vs 1980 rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Labor force participation rates for women ages 15 24 2020 vs 1980. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 17 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).