Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Europe & Central Asia
Europe & Central Asia: Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) was 5.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Europe & Central Asia, 1992–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Europe & Central Asia recorded 5.6% for unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and down 34.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Europe & Central Asia peaked at 11.3% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 5.6%, in 2025.
That places Europe & Central Asia 14th out of 24 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Europe & Central Asia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 8.6% | — |
| 1993 | 9.9% | +15.1% |
| 1994 | 10.6% | +7.1% |
| 1995 | 10.3% | -3.5% |
| 1996 | 10.7% | +4.0% |
| 1997 | 11.0% | +3.2% |
| 1998 | 11.3% | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 11.3% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 10.3% | -9.4% |
| 2001 | 9.6% | -6.2% |
| 2002 | 9.3% | -3.3% |
| 2003 | 9.3% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 9.3% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 9.1% | -2.6% |
| 2006 | 8.6% | -5.0% |
| 2007 | 7.7% | -10.5% |
| 2008 | 7.5% | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 8.9% | +18.7% |
| 2010 | 9.0% | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 8.8% | -2.6% |
| 2012 | 9.1% | +3.7% |
| 2013 | 9.3% | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 9.1% | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 8.5% | -5.8% |
| 2016 | 8.2% | -4.1% |
| 2017 | 7.6% | -7.6% |
| 2018 | 7.1% | -6.6% |
| 2019 | 6.9% | -2.1% |
| 2020 | 7.2% | +3.8% |
| 2021 | 7.2% | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 6.1% | -14.2% |
| 2023 | 5.8% | -5.0% |
| 2024 | 5.6% | -4.0% |
| 2025 | 5.6% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 10.5% | 8.6% | 11.3% | 8 |
| 2000s | 8.9% | 7.5% | 10.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.4% | 6.9% | 9.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.2% | 5.6% | 7.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia
More work & labour data for Europe & Central Asia
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 51.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 58.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 65.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 35.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 44.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 40.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 66.3% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 78.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 79.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 72.8% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Europe & Central Asia?
- Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Europe & Central Asia was 5.6% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, female (% of female labor force) recorded in Europe & Central Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 11.3% in 1999.
- What is the lowest unemployment, female (% of female labor force) recorded in Europe & Central Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.6% in 2025.
- How does Europe & Central Asia rank for unemployment, female (% of female labor force)?
- Europe & Central Asia ranks 14th out of 24 groups with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, female (% of female labor force) rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 34.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia 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.
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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.