Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income): Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) was 26.7% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), 1991–2021
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2021, ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) stood at 26.7%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 33.5% on the previous year and down 2.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) peaked at 29.2% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 19.5%, in 1991.
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 24th of 24 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 17 years of available data.
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 19.5% | — |
| 2000 | 23.6% | +21.0% |
| 2005 | 25.1% | +6.5% |
| 2006 | 26.0% | +3.6% |
| 2007 | 26.2% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 27.1% | +3.6% |
| 2009 | 26.5% | -2.2% |
| 2010 | 27.1% | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 27.3% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 26.9% | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 27.9% | +4.0% |
| 2014 | 27.2% | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 29.2% | +7.3% |
| 2016 | 28.7% | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 27.4% | -4.6% |
| 2020 | 20.0% | -27.0% |
| 2021 | 26.7% | +33.5% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +33.5% | 20.0% | 26.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 19.5% | 19.5% | 19.5% | 1 |
| 2000s | 25.8% | 23.6% | 27.1% | 6 |
| 2010s | 27.7% | 26.9% | 29.2% | 8 |
| 2020s | 23.3% | 20.0% | 26.7% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
More work & labour data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 17.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 44.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 13.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 50.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 32.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 19.0% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 25.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 71.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 75.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 47.6% (2025)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) was 26.7% in 2021, 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 29.2% in 2015.
- What is the lowest ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.5% in 1991.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) rank for ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%)?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 24th out of 24 groups with data for 2021.
- Is ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) 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.
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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.