Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Barbados
Barbados: Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates was 88.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Barbados, 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILOEST/ILOSTAT) and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Barbados recorded 88.8% for ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Barbados peaked at 90.5% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 79.3%, in 1990.
Barbados ranks 29th 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 Barbados, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 79.3% | — |
| 1991 | 80.1% | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 80.9% | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 81.3% | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 81.6% | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 82.6% | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 85.1% | +3.0% |
| 1997 | 83.3% | -2.1% |
| 1998 | 83.6% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 83.8% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 84.0% | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 84.2% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 84.5% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 84.7% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 84.9% | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 85.3% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 85.7% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 86.1% | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 86.4% | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 86.8% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 87.1% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 87.4% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 86.3% | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 87.5% | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 90.5% | +3.4% |
| 2015 | 88.7% | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 89.3% | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 89.0% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 87.7% | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 89.7% | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 89.2% | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 89.1% | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 87.2% | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 88.2% | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 89.0% | +0.9% |
| 2025 | 88.8% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 82.2% | 79.3% | 85.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 85.3% | 84.0% | 86.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 88.3% | 86.3% | 90.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 88.6% | 87.2% | 89.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Barbados
More work & labour data for Barbados
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.7079 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.6853 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.7302 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9854 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.8257 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 114.42 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 165.89 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 97.75 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 96.95 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 194.7 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Barbados?
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Barbados was 88.8% 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 Barbados?
- The highest recorded value was 90.5% in 2014.
- What is the lowest ratio of female to male labor force participation rates recorded in Barbados?
- The lowest recorded value was 79.3% in 1990.
- How does Barbados rank for ratio of female to male labor force participation rates?
- Barbados ranks 29th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is ratio of female to male labor force participation rates rising or falling in Barbados?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Barbados 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.
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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).