Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Kenya
Kenya: Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates was 87.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Kenya, 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 Kenya is 87.7%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 5.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Kenya peaked at 94.6% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 86.2%, in 2019.
Kenya ranks 39th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 91.3% | — |
| 1991 | 91.6% | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 91.9% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 92.3% | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 92.6% | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 93.0% | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 93.4% | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 93.8% | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 94.2% | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 94.6% | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 94.5% | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 94.3% | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 94.2% | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 94.0% | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 93.9% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 93.7% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 93.6% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 93.4% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 93.3% | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 93.1% | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 93.0% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 92.9% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 92.7% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 92.6% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 92.5% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 92.3% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 92.2% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 90.4% | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 88.4% | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 86.2% | -2.5% |
| 2020 | 86.2% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 86.6% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 86.9% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 87.3% | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 87.6% | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 87.7% | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 92.9% | 91.3% | 94.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 93.8% | 93.1% | 94.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 91.3% | 86.2% | 93.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 87.1% | 86.2% | 87.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More work & labour data for Kenya
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.0278 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.0507 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0073 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.2281 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.98 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 44,185 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 51,282 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 53,727 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 50,468 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 104,196 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Kenya?
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Kenya was 87.7% 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 94.6% in 1999.
- What is the lowest ratio of female to male labor force participation rates recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 86.2% in 2019.
- How does Kenya rank for ratio of female to male labor force participation rates?
- Kenya ranks 39th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is ratio of female to male labor force participation rates rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya 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).