Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) was 7.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Afghanistan, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 7.3% for ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and down 71.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Afghanistan peaked at 28.9% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 7.3%, in 2025.
That places Afghanistan 187th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 19.7% | — |
| 1991 | 19.6% | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 19.5% | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 19.4% | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 19.2% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 19.0% | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 18.8% | -1.1% |
| 1997 | 18.5% | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 18.3% | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 18.1% | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 17.9% | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 17.8% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 17.7% | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 17.8% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 17.8% | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 18.0% | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 18.2% | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 18.5% | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 18.9% | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 19.4% | +2.3% |
| 2010 | 19.8% | +2.5% |
| 2011 | 20.3% | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 20.8% | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 22.2% | +6.9% |
| 2014 | 23.8% | +6.9% |
| 2015 | 25.4% | +6.8% |
| 2016 | 27.1% | +6.8% |
| 2017 | 28.9% | +6.8% |
| 2018 | 27.7% | -4.1% |
| 2019 | 26.4% | -5.0% |
| 2020 | 24.7% | -6.4% |
| 2021 | 21.9% | -11.4% |
| 2022 | 7.3% | -66.4% |
| 2023 | 7.3% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 7.3% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 7.3% | -0.4% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 7.3% is below the median for low income countries, which is 86.4%, 8% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 7.3% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 33.3%, 22% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Afghanistan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -66.4% | 21.9% | 7.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 19.0% | 18.1% | 19.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.2% | 17.7% | 19.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.2% | 19.8% | 28.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.6% | 7.3% | 24.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More work & labour data for Afghanistan
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.4637 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.4511 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.4755 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.088 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.67 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 25,498 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 36,430 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 65,039 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 65,177 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 130,217 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Afghanistan?
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Afghanistan was 7.3% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 28.9% in 2017.
- What is the lowest ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.3% in 2025.
- How does Afghanistan rank for ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%)?
- Afghanistan ranks 187th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 71.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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.