Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Pakistan
Pakistan: Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) was 34.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Pakistan, 1961–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Pakistan is 34.6%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 14.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Pakistan peaked at 44.3% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 8.1%, in 1980.
That places Pakistan 185th out of 196 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 43 years of available data.
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 11.2% | — |
| 1972 | 10.5% | -6.2% |
| 1976 | 8.1% | -22.4% |
| 1977 | 8.1% | -0.0% |
| 1978 | 8.1% | -0.7% |
| 1979 | 8.1% | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 8.1% | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 14.5% | +79.9% |
| 1982 | 14.5% | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 13.3% | -8.5% |
| 1984 | 13.3% | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 10.5% | -20.7% |
| 1986 | 11.2% | +6.9% |
| 1988 | 13.3% | +18.5% |
| 1989 | 44.3% | +232.8% |
| 1990 | 13.3% | -70.0% |
| 1991 | 16.7% | +25.5% |
| 1992 | 16.7% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 17.4% | +4.1% |
| 1994 | 17.8% | +2.5% |
| 1995 | 15.4% | -13.7% |
| 1997 | 18.0% | +17.1% |
| 1998 | 18.5% | +2.7% |
| 2000 | 19.5% | +5.5% |
| 2002 | 19.6% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 21.7% | +10.6% |
| 2005 | 20.5% | -5.6% |
| 2006 | 23.8% | +16.2% |
| 2007 | 24.4% | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 25.2% | +3.3% |
| 2009 | 26.6% | +5.9% |
| 2010 | 28.0% | +5.1% |
| 2011 | 28.5% | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 27.1% | -4.8% |
| 2013 | 28.9% | +6.6% |
| 2014 | 29.5% | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 30.4% | +2.9% |
| 2016 | 29.3% | -3.6% |
| 2018 | 27.2% | -7.1% |
| 2019 | 29.5% | +8.3% |
| 2020 | 18.5% | -37.3% |
| 2021 | 30.4% | +64.6% |
| 2025 | 34.6% | +13.9% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 34.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 74.2%, 47% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 34.6% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 34.6%, 1.0× the median. (21 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Pakistan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | +232.8% | 13.3% | 44.3% |
| 1981 | +79.9% | 8.1% | 14.5% |
| 1990 | -70.0% | 44.3% | 13.3% |
| 2021 | +64.6% | 18.5% | 30.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 11.2% | 11.2% | 11.2% | 1 |
| 1970s | 8.6% | 8.1% | 10.5% | 5 |
| 1980s | 15.9% | 8.1% | 44.3% | 9 |
| 1990s | 16.7% | 13.3% | 18.5% | 8 |
| 2000s | 22.7% | 19.5% | 26.6% | 8 |
| 2010s | 28.7% | 27.1% | 30.4% | 9 |
| 2020s | 27.8% | 18.5% | 34.6% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More work & labour data for Pakistan
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.1692 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.1658 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.1724 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.4553 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.11 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 160,228 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 146,712 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 259,090 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 251,911 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 511,001 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Pakistan?
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Pakistan was 34.6% 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 Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 44.3% in 1989.
- What is the lowest ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.1% in 1980.
- How does Pakistan rank for ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%)?
- Pakistan ranks 185th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Pakistan 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
CSV · JSON — 43 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.