Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Ireland
Ireland: Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) was 86.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Ireland, 1961–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Ireland recorded 86.1% for ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in 2025. That is the highest value across all 49 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 8.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Ireland peaked at 86.1% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 32.7%, in 1961.
Ireland ranks 60th of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 49 years of available data.
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 32.7% | — |
| 1966 | 35.0% | +6.9% |
| 1971 | 34.4% | -1.8% |
| 1975 | 37.9% | +10.2% |
| 1977 | 36.7% | -3.0% |
| 1981 | 38.9% | +5.9% |
| 1983 | 45.2% | +16.2% |
| 1984 | 44.9% | -0.8% |
| 1985 | 45.3% | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 46.2% | +2.1% |
| 1987 | 48.1% | +4.1% |
| 1988 | 47.6% | -1.2% |
| 1989 | 48.6% | +2.2% |
| 1990 | 50.1% | +3.0% |
| 1991 | 51.0% | +2.0% |
| 1992 | 53.6% | +5.0% |
| 1993 | 56.3% | +5.1% |
| 1994 | 57.4% | +1.9% |
| 1995 | 58.4% | +1.7% |
| 1996 | 60.6% | +3.9% |
| 1997 | 62.3% | +2.7% |
| 1998 | 63.3% | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 65.2% | +3.0% |
| 2000 | 66.2% | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 66.9% | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 69.0% | +3.1% |
| 2003 | 69.6% | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 69.6% | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 71.6% | +2.9% |
| 2006 | 72.0% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 74.6% | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 75.5% | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 77.6% | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 78.7% | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 79.4% | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 79.6% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 80.2% | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 79.8% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 79.4% | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 80.5% | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 81.2% | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 81.8% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 81.9% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 81.8% | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 83.4% | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 84.6% | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 83.4% | -1.5% |
| 2024 | 85.9% | +3.0% |
| 2025 | 86.1% | +0.2% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 86.1% is above the median for high income countries, which is 85.1%, 1.0× the median. (79 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 86.1% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 85.0%, 1.0× the median. (54 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 33.9% | 32.7% | 35.0% | 2 |
| 1970s | 36.3% | 34.4% | 37.9% | 3 |
| 1980s | 45.6% | 38.9% | 48.6% | 8 |
| 1990s | 57.8% | 50.1% | 65.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 71.3% | 66.2% | 77.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 80.3% | 78.7% | 81.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 84.2% | 81.8% | 86.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 57 Macau, China 86.4% compare
- 58 Cambodia 86.3% compare
- 59 Austria 86.2% compare
- 61 Lithuania 86.0% compare
- 62 Northern Mariana Islands 85.7% compare
- 63 Guinea-Bissau 85.7% compare
More work & labour data for Ireland
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.4488 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.4574 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.4405 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.23 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.9335 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 4,354 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,447 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,638 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,649 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 5,286 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Ireland?
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Ireland was 86.1% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 86.1% in 2025.
- What is the lowest ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 32.7% in 1961.
- How does Ireland rank for ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%)?
- Ireland ranks 60th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate is the proportion of female labor force participation relative to male labor force participation. The labor force participation rate is the labor force as a percent of the population ages 15 and older. The labor force is the sum of all persons of working age who are employed and those who are unemployed.