Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Pakistan
Pakistan: Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates was 30.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Pakistan, 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILOEST/ILOSTAT) and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Pakistan stood at 30.0%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Pakistan peaked at 30.4% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 13.3%, in 1990.
That places Pakistan 175th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom 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 Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 13.3% | — |
| 1991 | 16.7% | +25.4% |
| 1992 | 16.7% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 17.4% | +4.2% |
| 1994 | 17.8% | +2.5% |
| 1995 | 15.4% | -13.7% |
| 1996 | 16.7% | +8.2% |
| 1997 | 18.0% | +8.1% |
| 1998 | 18.5% | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 19.0% | +2.8% |
| 2000 | 19.6% | +2.8% |
| 2001 | 19.6% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 19.6% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 20.7% | +5.2% |
| 2004 | 21.7% | +5.1% |
| 2005 | 22.7% | +4.7% |
| 2006 | 23.8% | +4.8% |
| 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 | 28.7% | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 28.9% | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 29.5% | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 30.4% | +2.9% |
| 2016 | 29.3% | -3.6% |
| 2017 | 28.2% | -3.6% |
| 2018 | 27.2% | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 29.5% | +8.3% |
| 2020 | 29.7% | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 30.4% | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 30.1% | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 30.0% | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 30.0% | -0.0% |
| 2025 | 30.0% | +0.2% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 30.0% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 77.8%, 39% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 30.0% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 33.3%, 90% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | +25.4% | 13.3% | 16.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 17.0% | 13.3% | 19.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.4% | 19.6% | 26.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.8% | 27.2% | 30.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 30.0% | 29.7% | 30.4% | 6 |
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 rates in Pakistan?
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Pakistan was 30.0% 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 Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 30.4% in 2021.
- What is the lowest ratio of female to male labor force participation rates recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.3% in 1990.
- How does Pakistan rank for ratio of female to male labor force participation rates?
- Pakistan ranks 175th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is ratio of female to male labor force participation rates rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Pakistan 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).