Female Labor Force Participation Rate 2014

Female labor force participation rate measures the active engagement of women in the workforce, indicating economic inclusivity.

186 data pointsโ€ขโ€ขGlobal Coverageโ€ขLabor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) | Dataโ€ข

Interactive Map

Loading interactive map...

Complete Data Rankings

Rank
Actions
1
North Korea flag
North Korea
86.112 %
2
Madagascar flag
Madagascar
84.799 %
3
Iceland flag
Iceland
84.549 %
4
Solomon Islands flag
Solomon Islands
84.296 %
5
Burundi flag
Burundi
81.662 %
6
Tanzania flag
Tanzania
81.571 %
7
Mozambique flag
Mozambique
79.531 %
8
Sweden flag
Sweden
79.306 %
9
Bahamas flag
Bahamas
78.667 %
10
Vietnam flag
Vietnam
78.296 %
11
Switzerland flag
Switzerland
78.054 %
12
Cambodia flag
Cambodia
77.991 %
13
Norway flag
Norway
77.23 %
14
Nigeria flag
Nigeria
77.229 %
15
Netherlands flag
Netherlands
76.724 %
16
Eritrea flag
Eritrea
76.56 %
17
Uganda flag
Uganda
76.547 %
18
Burkina Faso flag
Burkina Faso
75.629 %
19
Angola flag
Angola
75.248 %
20
Barbados flag
Barbados
74.976 %
21
Ethiopia flag
Ethiopia
74.396 %
22
Canada flag
Canada
74.358 %
23
New Zealand flag
New Zealand
73.686 %
24
Finland flag
Finland
73.675 %
25
Belarus flag
Belarus
73.664 %
26
South Sudan flag
South Sudan
73.542 %
27
Kazakhstan flag
Kazakhstan
73.418 %
28
Denmark flag
Denmark
73.361 %
29
Liberia flag
Liberia
73.277 %
30
Peru flag
Peru
73.084 %
31
Germany flag
Germany
72.891 %
32
Benin flag
Benin
72.723 %
33
China, Macao SAR flag
China, Macao SAR
72.53 %
34
Kenya flag
Kenya
71.714 %
35
Lithuania flag
Lithuania
71.602 %
36
Republic of Moldova flag
Republic of Moldova
71.494 %
37
Latvia flag
Latvia
71.473 %
38
Estonia flag
Estonia
71.47 %
39
United Kingdom flag
United Kingdom
70.997 %
40
Austria flag
Austria
70.898 %
41
Australia flag
Australia
70.545 %
42
Portugal flag
Portugal
69.995 %
43
Saint Lucia flag
Saint Lucia
69.992 %
44
China flag
China
69.799 %
45
Israel flag
Israel
69.531 %
46
Uruguay flag
Uruguay
69.382 %
47
Cyprus flag
Cyprus
69.366 %
48
Spain flag
Spain
68.719 %
49
Russia flag
Russia
68.353 %
50
Thailand flag
Thailand
68.111 %
51
Ghana flag
Ghana
67.779 %
52
Cameroon flag
Cameroon
67.691 %
53
Congo flag
Congo
67.588 %
54
Slovenia flag
Slovenia
67.517 %
55
France flag
France
67.058 %
56
Japan flag
Japan
66.298 %
57
New Caledonia flag
New Caledonia
66.288 %
58
Central African Republic flag
Central African Republic
65.947 %
59
United States flag
United States
65.924 %
60
Azerbaijan flag
Azerbaijan
65.604 %
61
Czech Republic flag
Czech Republic
65.563 %
62
Singapore flag
Singapore
65.442 %
63
Ireland flag
Ireland
65.17 %
64
Georgia flag
Georgia
64.937 %
65
Bulgaria flag
Bulgaria
64.794 %
66
Malawi flag
Malawi
64.645 %
67
Hungary flag
Hungary
64.192 %
68
Slovakia flag
Slovakia
64.081 %
69
Luxembourg flag
Luxembourg
63.871 %
70
China, Hong Kong SAR flag
China, Hong Kong SAR
63.652 %
71
Niger flag
Niger
63.534 %
72
Haiti flag
Haiti
63.36 %
73
United States Virgin Islands flag
United States Virgin Islands
63.294 %
74
Ukraine flag
Ukraine
62.968 %
75
Belgium flag
Belgium
62.96 %
76
Congo, Democratic Republic of the flag
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
62.78 %
77
Armenia flag
Armenia
62.429 %
78
Guam flag
Guam
62.284 %
79
Mali flag
Mali
61.949 %
80
Poland flag
Poland
61.706 %
81
Cรดte d'Ivoire flag
Cรดte d'Ivoire
61.646 %
82
Zimbabwe flag
Zimbabwe
61.558 %
83
Timor-Leste flag
Timor-Leste
61.545 %
84
Croatia flag
Croatia
61.273 %
85
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines flag
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
60.888 %
86
Brunei Darussalam flag
Brunei Darussalam
60.608 %
87
Colombia flag
Colombia
59.285 %
88
Laos flag
Laos
59.27 %
89
Trinidad and Tobago flag
Trinidad and Tobago
59.14 %
90
Namibia flag
Namibia
58.812 %
91
Bolivia flag
Bolivia
58.705 %
92
Greece flag
Greece
58.532 %
93
Brazil flag
Brazil
58.241 %
94
Jamaica flag
Jamaica
58.24 %
95
Botswana flag
Botswana
58.082 %
96
Lesotho flag
Lesotho
58.004 %
97
Sierra Leone flag
Sierra Leone
57.996 %
98
Paraguay flag
Paraguay
57.401 %
99
South Korea flag
South Korea
57.246 %
100
Vanuatu flag
Vanuatu
57.033 %
101
Chile flag
Chile
56.869 %
102
Togo flag
Togo
56.615 %
103
Mongolia flag
Mongolia
56.522 %
104
Bhutan flag
Bhutan
56.46 %
105
Rwanda flag
Rwanda
56.412 %
106
Costa Rica flag
Costa Rica
56.39 %
107
Cabo Verde flag
Cabo Verde
55.811 %
108
Guinea-Bissau flag
Guinea-Bissau
55.604 %
109
Qatar flag
Qatar
55.568 %
110
Serbia flag
Serbia
55.482 %
111
Montenegro flag
Montenegro
55.447 %
112
Argentina flag
Argentina
55.135 %
113
Equatorial Guinea flag
Equatorial Guinea
55.11 %
114
Panama flag
Panama
54.969 %
115
Myanmar flag
Myanmar
54.769 %
116
Italy flag
Italy
54.35 %
117
Malta flag
Malta
54.288 %
118
Malaysia flag
Malaysia
53.87 %
119
French Polynesia flag
French Polynesia
53.78 %
120
Indonesia flag
Indonesia
53.073 %
121
Cuba flag
Cuba
52.702 %
122
Venezuela flag
Venezuela
52.504 %
123
North Macedonia flag
North Macedonia
52.105 %
124
Zambia flag
Zambia
51.663 %
125
Chad flag
Chad
51.353 %
126
Kuwait flag
Kuwait
51.097 %
127
Albania flag
Albania
51.039 %
128
Kyrgyzstan flag
Kyrgyzstan
50.954 %
129
South Africa flag
South Africa
50.652 %
130
Philippines flag
Philippines
50.648 %
131
Mauritius flag
Mauritius
50.607 %
132
Nicaragua flag
Nicaragua
50.443 %
133
Ecuador flag
Ecuador
50.312 %
134
Guinea flag
Guinea
50.082 %
135
Romania flag
Romania
49.624 %
136
Papua New Guinea flag
Papua New Guinea
49.546 %
137
Belize flag
Belize
49.446 %
138
El Salvador flag
El Salvador
49.343 %
139
Dominican Republic flag
Dominican Republic
48.632 %
140
Eswatini flag
Eswatini
48.596 %
141
Bosnia and Herzegovina flag
Bosnia and Herzegovina
48.405 %
142
United Arab Emirates flag
United Arab Emirates
48.127 %
143
Suriname flag
Suriname
47.987 %
144
Honduras flag
Honduras
47.367 %
145
Mexico flag
Mexico
46.606 %
146
Tonga flag
Tonga
45.838 %
147
Gambia flag
Gambia
45.414 %
148
Bahrain flag
Bahrain
44.774 %
149
Samoa flag
Samoa
44.475 %
150
Guyana flag
Guyana
44.418 %
151
Fiji flag
Fiji
43.987 %
152
Gabon flag
Gabon
42.929 %
153
Uzbekistan flag
Uzbekistan
42.462 %
154
Turkmenistan flag
Turkmenistan
42.026 %
155
Guatemala flag
Guatemala
41.415 %
156
Puerto Rico flag
Puerto Rico
39.872 %
157
Maldives flag
Maldives
39.595 %
158
Sri Lanka flag
Sri Lanka
36.593 %
159
Libya flag
Libya
36.543 %
160
Senegal flag
Senegal
35.287 %
161
Bangladesh flag
Bangladesh
35.144 %
162
Comoros flag
Comoros
34.006 %
163
Turkey flag
Turkey
33.316 %
164
Oman flag
Oman
30.376 %
165
Tunisia flag
Tunisia
28.353 %
166
Nepal flag
Nepal
28.295 %
167
India flag
India
28.091 %
168
Lebanon flag
Lebanon
27.884 %
169
Mauritania flag
Mauritania
27.867 %
170
Morocco flag
Morocco
26.269 %
171
Tajikistan flag
Tajikistan
25.852 %
172
Sudan flag
Sudan
25.093 %
173
Egypt flag
Egypt
24.845 %
174
Pakistan flag
Pakistan
24.027 %
175
Sao Tome and Principe flag
Sao Tome and Principe
22.559 %
176
Somalia flag
Somalia
21.649 %
177
Saudi Arabia flag
Saudi Arabia
21.078 %
178
Afghanistan flag
Afghanistan
18.77 %
179
Djibouti flag
Djibouti
18.366 %
180
State of Palestine flag
State of Palestine
17.302 %
181
Algeria flag
Algeria
16.483 %
182
Iraq flag
Iraq
14.401 %
183
Iran flag
Iran
13.966 %
184
Syrian Arab Republic flag
Syrian Arab Republic
13.647 %
185
Jordan flag
Jordan
12.985 %
186
Yemen flag
Yemen
6.282 %

โ†‘Top 10 Countries

  1. #1North Korea flagNorth Korea
  2. #2Madagascar flagMadagascar
  3. #3Iceland flagIceland
  4. #4Solomon Islands flagSolomon Islands
  5. #5Burundi flagBurundi
  6. #6Tanzania flagTanzania
  7. #7Mozambique flagMozambique
  8. #8Sweden flagSweden
  9. #9Bahamas flagBahamas
  10. #10Vietnam flagVietnam

Analysis: These countries represent the highest values in this dataset, showcasing significant scale and impact on global statistics.

โ†“Bottom 10 Countries

  1. #186Yemen flagYemen
  2. #185Jordan flagJordan
  3. #184Syrian Arab Republic flagSyrian Arab Republic
  4. #183Iran flagIran
  5. #182Iraq flagIraq
  6. #181Algeria flagAlgeria
  7. #180State of Palestine flagState of Palestine
  8. #179Djibouti flagDjibouti
  9. #178Afghanistan flagAfghanistan
  10. #177Saudi Arabia flagSaudi Arabia

Context: These countries or territories have the lowest values, often due to geographic size, administrative status, or specific characteristics.

Analysis & Context

The country with the highest Female Labor Force Participation Rate in 2014 was North Korea with a participation rate of 86.11%, while the lowest was Yemen at 6.28%. The global rate ranged widely, reflecting diverse economic and cultural landscapes. The average participation rate across the 186 countries with available data was 56.11%, highlighting significant global disparities in economic inclusivity for women.

Economic Structures and Female Workforce Engagement

The Female Labor Force Participation Rate often correlates with a country's economic structure. For instance, North Korea leads with 86.11% participation, a reflection of its state-controlled economy where employment is mandatory. Similarly, countries like Madagascar and Iceland have high rates, 84.80% and 84.55% respectively, driven by different factors. In Madagascar, the agrarian economy necessitates labor from all family members, while Iceland benefits from progressive gender policies supporting women in the workforce.

Conversely, countries with lower participation rates, such as Yemen at 6.28% and Jordan at 12.99%, often face economic constraints and cultural norms limiting women's employment opportunities. In these regions, economic activities are frequently informal or centered around male-dominated industries.

Policy Influence on Participation Rates

Government policies significantly impact female labor force participation. In Sweden, where the rate is 79.31%, comprehensive parental leave and childcare support encourage women's employment. Meanwhile, Vietnam at 78.30% benefits from policies promoting women's roles in the workforce as part of broader economic development strategies.

In contrast, countries like Saudi Arabia with a 21.08% participation rate, have historically restricted women's employment due to legal and societal frameworks. Recent reforms aim to improve these figures, but traditional barriers remain significant.

Trends and Movements: Year-over-Year Changes

Analyzing year-over-year changes, some countries showed remarkable shifts. The Republic of Moldova experienced the largest increase, climbing by 4.25% (a 6.3% increase), due to policy reforms aimed at improving gender equality in the workforce. Other significant increases were seen in Honduras and Croatia, with rates rising by 2.76% and 2.74% respectively, reflecting efforts to boost female employment through economic incentives and support programs.

Conversely, Uganda saw the largest decrease of 6.92% (-8.3%), possibly due to economic challenges and labor market contractions limiting opportunities. Similarly, Bhutan and Paraguay experienced declines of 4.32% and 3.22%, respectively, highlighting the volatility and sensitivity of female labor participation to economic fluctuations.

Geographical and Cultural Factors

Geography and culture also play crucial roles in shaping female labor force participation. In regions like sub-Saharan Africa, represented by Burundi at 81.66% and Tanzania at 81.57%, economic necessity often drives high participation rates, with women actively involved in agriculture and informal markets.

In contrast, Middle Eastern countries such as Iraq and Iran, with participation rates of 14.40% and 13.97% respectively, are influenced by cultural norms that traditionally restrict women's roles in the public sphere, although ongoing reforms aim to alter these dynamics.

Overall, the Female Labor Force Participation Rate in 2014 reflects a complex interplay of economic, policy, and cultural factors, with significant variations across different regions and countries. Understanding these dynamics is essential for developing strategies to enhance female economic participation globally.

Frequently Asked Questions About Female Labor Force Participation Rate in 2014

Which country had the highest female labor force participation rate in 2014?

North Korea had the highest female labor force participation rate in 2014, with 86.11%.

Which country had the lowest female labor force participation rate in 2014?

Yemen had the lowest female labor force participation rate in 2014, with 6.28%.

What was the average female labor force participation rate across all countries in 2014?

The average female labor force participation rate across all countries in 2014 was 56.11%.

What was the median female labor force participation rate in 2014?

The median female labor force participation rate in 2014 was 58.24%.

Which countries were in the top 3 for female labor force participation rate in 2014?

The top 3 countries for female labor force participation rate in 2014 were North Korea (86.11%), Madagascar (84.8%), and Iceland (84.55%).

How many countries were included in the dataset for female labor force participation rate in 2014?

The dataset for female labor force participation rate in 2014 included 186 countries.

Insights by country

1

Morocco

In 2014, Morocco ranked #170 globally with a Female Labor Force Participation Rate of 26.269 %. This figure is significantly lower than the global average, reflecting broader regional trends in North Africa where female participation in the workforce remains limited. Cultural norms, educational barriers, and insufficient policy support for working women have contributed to this low engagement in economic activities.

2

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's Female Labor Force Participation Rate in 2014 was 36.593 %, placing it at #158 out of 186 countries. This rate is significantly lower than the global average, reflecting challenges in gender equality in the workforce. Contributing factors include cultural norms that prioritize traditional gender roles and limited access to education and employment opportunities for women in rural areas.

3

Iran

In 2014, Iran's Female Labor Force Participation Rate was 13.966 %, ranking it #183 out of 186 countries. This rate is significantly lower than the global average, reflecting broader regional trends in the Middle East where female workforce engagement remains constrained. Key factors contributing to this low participation include restrictive social norms, limited economic opportunities for women, and legal barriers that hinder women's employment in various sectors.

4

El Salvador

In 2014, El Salvador ranked #138 globally with a Female Labor Force Participation Rate of 49.343%. This rate is notably lower than the global average, reflecting challenges in gender equality in the workforce. Key drivers include limited access to education for women and traditional gender roles that discourage female employment, particularly in rural areas. Additionally, economic instability and high levels of violence have further constrained women's participation in the labor market.

5

North Korea

In 2014, North Korea achieved the highest Female Labor Force Participation Rate globally, with a remarkable 86.112%, ranking #1 out of 186 countries. This figure stands in stark contrast to many nations, highlighting the unique socio-economic landscape of North Korea.

Government policies strongly encourage women's participation in the workforce, driven by the regime's emphasis on self-reliance and the need for labor in a state-controlled economy. Additionally, cultural norms in North Korea promote women's roles in various sectors, contributing to this exceptionally high participation rate.

6

Bhutan

In 2014, Bhutan ranked #104 globally with a Female Labor Force Participation Rate of 56.46%. This figure is notably lower than the global average, reflecting challenges in gender equality in the workforce. Key drivers of this participation rate include traditional gender roles and limited economic opportunities for women in rural areas, where agriculture remains a dominant sector. Additionally, government initiatives aimed at enhancing women's education and employment are still in early stages, impacting overall participation.

7

Austria

In 2014, Austria achieved a Female Labor Force Participation Rate of 70.898 %, ranking #40 out of 186 countries. This rate is notably higher than the global average, reflecting Austria's commitment to gender equality in the workplace. Factors contributing to this statistic include strong social policies supporting work-life balance and a robust economy that encourages women's participation in various sectors.

8

Kazakhstan

In 2014, Kazakhstan achieved a Female Labor Force Participation Rate of 73.418 %, ranking #27 out of 186 countries. This rate is notably higher than the global average, reflecting a strong commitment to integrating women into the workforce. Key drivers include Kazakhstan's economic policies aimed at gender equality and significant investment in education, which has empowered women to pursue careers in various sectors.

9

Estonia

In 2014, Estonia ranked #38 globally with a Female Labor Force Participation Rate of 71.47 %. This rate is notably higher than the global average, indicating a strong engagement of women in the workforce. Key drivers of this participation include Estonia's progressive gender equality policies and a robust emphasis on work-life balance, which have created an environment conducive to female employment.

10

Croatia

In 2014, Croatia ranked #84 globally with a Female Labor Force Participation Rate of 61.273%. This rate is below the European Union average, reflecting challenges in integrating women into the workforce compared to neighboring countries like Slovenia, which has a higher participation rate. Factors contributing to this statistic include economic transitions post-independence and ongoing societal norms that influence women's roles in both the family and labor market.

Data Source

Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) | Data

The dataset is provided by the World Bank and offers modeled estimates of the female labor force participation rate as a percentage of the female population aged 15-64. It serves as a key indicator for understanding women's engagement in the labor market across different countries.

Visit Data Source

Historical Data by Year

Explore Female Labor Force Participation Rate data across different years. Compare trends and see how statistics have changed over time.

More Economy Facts