Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Australia
Australia: Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates was 88.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Australia, 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILOEST/ILOSTAT) and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Australia is 88.4%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 6.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Australia peaked at 88.4% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 69.1%, in 1990.
Australia ranks 32nd of 186 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Australia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 69.1% | — |
| 1991 | 69.6% | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 70.0% | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 70.3% | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 71.4% | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 72.6% | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 73.1% | +0.7% |
| 1997 | 73.4% | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 73.8% | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 74.2% | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 75.6% | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 76.6% | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 77.0% | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 78.2% | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 77.9% | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 79.0% | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 79.6% | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 80.1% | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 80.6% | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 81.2% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 81.0% | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 81.6% | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 81.9% | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 82.2% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 82.6% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 83.1% | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 84.0% | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 84.6% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 85.2% | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 85.6% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 85.8% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 86.7% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 87.6% | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 87.4% | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 88.3% | +1.1% |
| 2025 | 88.4% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 71.7% | 69.1% | 74.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 78.6% | 75.6% | 81.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 83.2% | 81.0% | 85.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 87.4% | 85.8% | 88.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More work & labour data for Australia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.5057 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.4907 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.5202 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9895 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.8931 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 30,186 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 3,001 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 21,642 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 21,502 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 43,144 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Australia?
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Australia was 88.4% in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILOEST/ILOSTAT) and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest ratio of female to male labor force participation rates recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 88.4% in 2025.
- What is the lowest ratio of female to male labor force participation rates recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 69.1% in 1990.
- How does Australia rank for ratio of female to male labor force participation rates?
- Australia ranks 32nd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is ratio of female to male labor force participation rates rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (ILOEST/ILOSTAT) and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
This ratio is calculated by dividing the labor force participation rate among women by the corresponding rate for men. The labor force participation rate is the share of the working-age population (ages 15 and over) who are economically active (employed or unemployed).