Female employment rate in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Female employment rate was 37.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Female employment rate in Bangladesh, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for female employment rate in Bangladesh is 37.2%, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 0.4% on the previous year and up 19.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female employment rate in Bangladesh peaked at 41.6% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 24.1%, in 1991.
That places Bangladesh 149th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Female employment rate in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 24.1% | — |
| 1992 | 24.5% | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 24.9% | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 25.4% | +1.9% |
| 1995 | 25.9% | +2.0% |
| 1996 | 26.4% | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 26.9% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 27.2% | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 27.5% | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 27.7% | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 27.8% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 27.7% | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 27.7% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 27.4% | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 27.2% | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 27.4% | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 28.8% | +5.1% |
| 2008 | 30.2% | +4.9% |
| 2009 | 31.6% | +4.7% |
| 2010 | 34.2% | +8.2% |
| 2011 | 33.1% | -3.0% |
| 2012 | 32.1% | -3.0% |
| 2013 | 31.1% | -3.1% |
| 2014 | 31.1% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 31.1% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 31.1% | -0.0% |
| 2017 | 34.2% | +10.2% |
| 2018 | 35.7% | +4.2% |
| 2019 | 37.0% | +3.7% |
| 2020 | 37.7% | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 39.7% | +5.1% |
| 2022 | 41.6% | +4.7% |
| 2023 | 40.5% | -2.5% |
| 2024 | 37.4% | -7.8% |
| 2025 | 37.2% | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 25.9% | 24.1% | 27.5% | 9 |
| 2000s | 28.3% | 27.2% | 31.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 33.1% | 31.1% | 37.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 39.0% | 37.2% | 41.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
More work & labour data for Bangladesh
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.4985 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.4763 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.5215 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.28 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.22 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 117,837 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 84,090 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 104,333 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 104,263 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 208,597 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female employment rate in Bangladesh?
- Female employment rate in Bangladesh was 37.2% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female employment rate recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 41.6% in 2022.
- What is the lowest female employment rate recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.1% in 1991.
- How does Bangladesh rank for female employment rate?
- Bangladesh ranks 149th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is female employment rate rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Female employment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the female working-age population (ages 15 and older) who are employed.