Proportion of labor force who are women in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Proportion of labor force who are women was 18.9 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
18.9
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
178th
of 186 countries
All-time high
19.38
in 2021
All-time low
11.47
in 2017
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Proportion of labor force who are women in Saudi Arabia, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for proportion of labor force who are women in Saudi Arabia is 18.9, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 55.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of labor force who are women in Saudi Arabia peaked at 19.38 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 11.47, in 2017.
That places Saudi Arabia 178th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Proportion of labor force who are women in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 12.86 | — |
| 1991 | 12.76 | -0.7% |
| 1992 | 12.79 | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 13.12 | +2.6% |
| 1994 | 13.46 | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 13.81 | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 14.18 | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 14.57 | +2.7% |
| 1998 | 14.97 | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 15.37 | +2.7% |
| 2000 | 14.53 | -5.5% |
| 2001 | 13.98 | -3.8% |
| 2002 | 13.63 | -2.5% |
| 2003 | 13.65 | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 13.67 | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 13.7 | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 13.73 | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 13.03 | -5.1% |
| 2008 | 12.46 | -4.4% |
| 2009 | 11.93 | -4.3% |
| 2010 | 12.18 | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 12.46 | +2.3% |
| 2012 | 12.37 | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 11.9 | -3.8% |
| 2014 | 11.79 | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 12.19 | +3.3% |
| 2016 | 12.66 | +3.9% |
| 2017 | 11.47 | -9.4% |
| 2018 | 12.81 | +11.7% |
| 2019 | 14.09 | +10.0% |
| 2020 | 16.79 | +19.1% |
| 2021 | 19.38 | +15.5% |
| 2022 | 19.28 | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 19.04 | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 18.64 | -2.1% |
| 2025 | 18.9 | +1.4% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 18.9 is below the median for high income countries, which is 46.51, 41% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 18.9 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 21.28, 89% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13.79 | 12.76 | 15.37 | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.43 | 11.93 | 14.53 | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.39 | 11.47 | 14.09 | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.67 | 16.79 | 19.38 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More work & labour data for Saudi Arabia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.6339 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.5946 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.6842 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.31 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.5985 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 40,709 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 4,348 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 31,198 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 39,809 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 71,007 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of labor force who are women in Saudi Arabia?
- Proportion of labor force who are women in Saudi Arabia was 18.9 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest proportion of labor force who are women recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 19.38 in 2021.
- What is the lowest proportion of labor force who are women recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.47 in 2017.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for proportion of labor force who are women?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 178th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is proportion of labor force who are women rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 55.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Proportion of labor force who are women. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).