Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Italy
Italy: Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) was 6.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Italy, 1970–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Italy is 6.8%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 56 years on record.
That represents a change of down 7.3% on the previous year and down 46.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Italy peaked at 17.4% in 1988 and was at its lowest, 6.8%, in 2025.
Italy ranks 80th of 181 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 56 years of available data.
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Italy, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 9.6% | — |
| 1971 | 9.5% | -1.2% |
| 1972 | 10.9% | +14.9% |
| 1973 | 11.6% | +6.1% |
| 1974 | 9.6% | -17.3% |
| 1975 | 10.5% | +9.4% |
| 1976 | 12.0% | +14.3% |
| 1977 | 12.5% | +4.3% |
| 1978 | 12.6% | +0.6% |
| 1979 | 13.2% | +5.3% |
| 1980 | 13.1% | -1.4% |
| 1981 | 14.3% | +9.2% |
| 1982 | 14.8% | +3.9% |
| 1983 | 14.2% | -4.2% |
| 1984 | 15.3% | +7.4% |
| 1985 | 15.3% | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 17.0% | +10.8% |
| 1987 | 16.6% | -2.0% |
| 1988 | 17.4% | +4.7% |
| 1989 | 17.3% | -0.7% |
| 1990 | 15.7% | -9.4% |
| 1991 | 15.7% | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 13.9% | -11.9% |
| 1993 | 14.8% | +6.7% |
| 1994 | 15.3% | +3.5% |
| 1995 | 16.1% | +5.2% |
| 1996 | 16.2% | +0.7% |
| 1997 | 16.4% | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 16.5% | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 16.3% | -1.7% |
| 2000 | 14.8% | -8.7% |
| 2001 | 13.0% | -12.2% |
| 2002 | 12.6% | -3.2% |
| 2003 | 11.9% | -5.3% |
| 2004 | 10.2% | -14.5% |
| 2005 | 10.0% | -1.7% |
| 2006 | 8.8% | -12.6% |
| 2007 | 7.8% | -10.6% |
| 2008 | 8.5% | +8.4% |
| 2009 | 9.2% | +8.6% |
| 2010 | 9.6% | +4.1% |
| 2011 | 9.5% | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 11.8% | +23.9% |
| 2013 | 13.1% | +10.5% |
| 2014 | 13.8% | +5.6% |
| 2015 | 12.7% | -8.0% |
| 2016 | 12.8% | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 12.4% | -3.0% |
| 2018 | 11.7% | -5.5% |
| 2019 | 11.0% | -5.8% |
| 2020 | 10.2% | -7.3% |
| 2021 | 10.6% | +3.9% |
| 2022 | 9.3% | -12.0% |
| 2023 | 8.8% | -6.3% |
| 2024 | 7.3% | -16.2% |
| 2025 | 6.8% | -7.3% |
Italy compared with similar countries
- Italy's 6.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 5.5%, 1.2× the median. (75 countries reporting)
- Italy's 6.8% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6.0%, 1.1× the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 11.2% | 9.5% | 13.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 15.5% | 13.1% | 17.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 15.7% | 13.9% | 16.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.7% | 7.8% | 14.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.8% | 9.5% | 13.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.9% | 6.8% | 10.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Italy
- 77 Sri Lanka 7.0% compare
- 78 San Marino 6.9% compare
- 79 Mali 6.8% compare
- 80 Luxembourg 6.8% compare
- 82 Sao Tome and Principe 6.7% compare
- 83 Honduras 6.7% compare
More work & labour data for Italy
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.6708 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.6794 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.662 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.03 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.0094 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 44,671 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 10,422 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 17,512 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 17,865 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 35,377 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Italy?
- Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Italy was 6.8% 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 Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 17.4% in 1988.
- What is the lowest unemployment, female (% of female labor force) recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.8% in 2025.
- How does Italy rank for unemployment, female (% of female labor force)?
- Italy ranks 80th out of 181 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, female (% of female labor force) rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is down 46.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Italy 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 — 56 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.