Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) was 44.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Sri Lanka, 1963–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 44.2% for ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.1% on the previous year and down 4.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Sri Lanka peaked at 58.2% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 28.7%, in 1963.
That places Sri Lanka 177th out of 196 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 28.7% | — |
| 1970 | 29.0% | +1.1% |
| 1971 | 37.8% | +30.2% |
| 1981 | 39.7% | +5.0% |
| 1985 | 46.7% | +17.5% |
| 1986 | 45.6% | -2.3% |
| 1990 | 58.2% | +27.5% |
| 1992 | 48.3% | -16.9% |
| 1993 | 49.7% | +2.7% |
| 1994 | 49.6% | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 47.8% | -3.6% |
| 1996 | 46.9% | -1.9% |
| 1997 | 46.6% | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 53.9% | +15.5% |
| 1999 | 48.6% | -9.8% |
| 2000 | 48.2% | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 48.2% | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 49.5% | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 46.3% | -6.4% |
| 2004 | 46.4% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 45.6% | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 49.2% | +8.0% |
| 2009 | 49.3% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 45.8% | -7.1% |
| 2011 | 46.2% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 43.9% | -4.9% |
| 2013 | 47.1% | +7.2% |
| 2014 | 46.3% | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 47.9% | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 47.7% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 49.1% | +2.9% |
| 2018 | 45.9% | -6.4% |
| 2019 | 47.2% | +2.7% |
| 2020 | 44.5% | -5.6% |
| 2021 | 44.7% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 45.4% | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 45.6% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 44.2% | -3.1% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 44.2% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 70.1%, 63% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 44.2% is below the median for South Asia, which is 49.4%, 89% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Sri Lanka 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | +30.2% | 29.0% | 37.8% |
| 1990 | +27.5% | 45.6% | 58.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 28.7% | 28.7% | 28.7% | 1 |
| 1970s | 33.4% | 29.0% | 37.8% | 2 |
| 1980s | 44.0% | 39.7% | 46.7% | 3 |
| 1990s | 50.0% | 46.6% | 58.2% | 9 |
| 2000s | 47.8% | 45.6% | 49.5% | 8 |
| 2010s | 46.7% | 43.9% | 49.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 44.9% | 44.2% | 45.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 174 Bangladesh 48.0% compare
- 175 Mauritania 46.5% compare
- 176 Oman 46.1% compare
- 178 India 44.1% compare
- 179 Saudi Arabia 41.9% compare
- 180 Kosovo 41.9% compare
- 180 Kosovo (UNSCR 1244) 41.9% compare
More work & labour data for Sri Lanka
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.5555 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.5407 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.5702 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.3 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.6 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 6,575 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 14,218 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 10,672 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 10,578 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 21,249 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Sri Lanka?
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Sri Lanka was 44.2% in 2024, 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 Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 58.2% in 1990.
- What is the lowest ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.7% in 1963.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%)?
- Sri Lanka ranks 177th out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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.