Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Egypt
Egypt: Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) was 11.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Egypt, 1973–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Egypt is 11.9%, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 22.4% on the previous year and down 50.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Egypt peaked at 25.1% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 1973.
Egypt ranks 32nd of 181 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 46 years of available data.
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Egypt, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 0.3% | — |
| 1975 | 6.3% | +2010.0% |
| 1977 | 11.3% | +78.9% |
| 1978 | 12.3% | +8.9% |
| 1979 | 18.2% | +48.1% |
| 1980 | 19.2% | +5.5% |
| 1981 | 18.8% | -2.1% |
| 1982 | 20.5% | +9.0% |
| 1983 | 10.2% | -50.2% |
| 1984 | 11.0% | +8.1% |
| 1989 | 10.9% | -0.9% |
| 1990 | 17.9% | +63.6% |
| 1991 | 21.2% | +18.6% |
| 1992 | 17.2% | -19.1% |
| 1993 | 22.5% | +31.2% |
| 1994 | 23.0% | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 23.9% | +4.1% |
| 1996 | 20.4% | -14.7% |
| 1997 | 19.8% | -2.9% |
| 1998 | 19.8% | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 19.3% | -2.7% |
| 2000 | 22.7% | +18.0% |
| 2001 | 22.6% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 23.8% | +5.3% |
| 2003 | 24.2% | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 24.4% | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 25.1% | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 23.9% | -4.6% |
| 2007 | 18.4% | -23.0% |
| 2008 | 18.9% | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 22.4% | +18.6% |
| 2010 | 22.1% | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 22.4% | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 24.0% | +7.0% |
| 2013 | 24.2% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 24.0% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 24.8% | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 23.6% | -4.7% |
| 2017 | 23.1% | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 21.4% | -7.0% |
| 2019 | 21.7% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 17.8% | -17.9% |
| 2021 | 16.1% | -9.6% |
| 2022 | 18.5% | +15.1% |
| 2023 | 15.3% | -17.2% |
| 2024 | 11.9% | -22.4% |
Egypt compared with similar countries
- Egypt's 11.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.2%, 1.9× the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Egypt's 11.9% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 10.9%, 1.1× the median. (20 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Egypt 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | +2010.0% | 0.3% | 6.3% |
| 1977 | +78.9% | 6.3% | 11.3% |
| 1990 | +63.6% | 10.9% | 17.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 9.7% | 0.3% | 18.2% | 5 |
| 1980s | 15.1% | 10.2% | 20.5% | 6 |
| 1990s | 20.5% | 17.2% | 23.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.6% | 18.4% | 25.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.1% | 21.4% | 24.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.9% | 11.9% | 18.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Egypt
More work & labour data for Egypt
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.0535 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.0709 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.0359 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.3894 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.13 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 85,321 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 68,113 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 100,315 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 101,580 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 201,895 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Egypt?
- Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Egypt was 11.9% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, female (% of female labor force) recorded in Egypt?
- The highest recorded value was 25.1% in 2005.
- What is the lowest unemployment, female (% of female labor force) recorded in Egypt?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 1973.
- How does Egypt rank for unemployment, female (% of female labor force)?
- Egypt ranks 32nd out of 181 countries with data for 2024.
- Is unemployment, female (% of female labor force) rising or falling in Egypt?
- Over the last ten years it is down 50.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Egypt data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 46 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.