Female Labor Force Participation Rate 2023

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

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

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Complete Data Rankings

Rank
Actions
1
North Korea flag
North Korea
86.906 %
2
Madagascar flag
Madagascar
84.481 %
3
Solomon Islands flag
Solomon Islands
84.223 %
4
Iceland flag
Iceland
83.857 %
5
Sweden flag
Sweden
82.187 %
6
Tanzania flag
Tanzania
82.006 %
7
Netherlands flag
Netherlands
81.944 %
8
Nigeria flag
Nigeria
81.884 %
9
Cambodia flag
Cambodia
81.668 %
10
Burundi flag
Burundi
81.292 %
11
Bahamas flag
Bahamas
81.161 %
12
Estonia flag
Estonia
80.904 %
13
Switzerland flag
Switzerland
80.35 %
14
New Zealand flag
New Zealand
79.48 %
15
Finland flag
Finland
79.251 %
16
Denmark flag
Denmark
78.403 %
17
Norway flag
Norway
78.067 %
18
Mozambique flag
Mozambique
77.865 %
19
Canada flag
Canada
77.182 %
20
Australia flag
Australia
77.141 %
21
Lithuania flag
Lithuania
77.068 %
22
Uganda flag
Uganda
76.715 %
23
Benin flag
Benin
76.152 %
24
Eritrea flag
Eritrea
76.15 %
25
Belarus flag
Belarus
76.065 %
26
Germany flag
Germany
75.898 %
27
Barbados flag
Barbados
75.504 %
28
Japan flag
Japan
75.495 %
29
Kazakhstan flag
Kazakhstan
75.328 %
30
Portugal flag
Portugal
75.315 %
31
Vietnam flag
Vietnam
75.299 %
32
Cyprus flag
Cyprus
75.172 %
33
Latvia flag
Latvia
74.372 %
34
Bolivia flag
Bolivia
74.348 %
35
Austria flag
Austria
73.97 %
36
Niger flag
Niger
73.682 %
37
Hungary flag
Hungary
73.612 %
38
United Kingdom flag
United Kingdom
73.435 %
39
Angola flag
Angola
73.388 %
40
Liberia flag
Liberia
73.382 %
41
Ireland flag
Ireland
73.009 %
42
Republic of Moldova flag
Republic of Moldova
72.727 %
43
Slovakia flag
Slovakia
72.702 %
44
Slovenia flag
Slovenia
72.49 %
45
Malta flag
Malta
72.35 %
46
China, Macao SAR flag
China, Macao SAR
72.152 %
47
South Sudan flag
South Sudan
72.034 %
48
Russia flag
Russia
71.705 %
49
Israel flag
Israel
71.579 %
50
Singapore flag
Singapore
71.296 %
51
Czech Republic flag
Czech Republic
71.231 %
52
France flag
France
71.148 %
53
Uruguay flag
Uruguay
70.678 %
54
Luxembourg flag
Luxembourg
70.49 %
55
Bulgaria flag
Bulgaria
70.473 %
56
China flag
China
70.473 %
57
Spain flag
Spain
70.439 %
58
Albania flag
Albania
70.046 %
59
Thailand flag
Thailand
69.596 %
60
Saint Lucia flag
Saint Lucia
69.589 %
61
Poland flag
Poland
69.439 %
62
Azerbaijan flag
Azerbaijan
69.339 %
63
Peru flag
Peru
69.282 %
64
United States flag
United States
68.72 %
65
Jamaica flag
Jamaica
68.014 %
66
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines flag
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
67.314 %
67
Serbia flag
Serbia
67.276 %
68
United States Virgin Islands flag
United States Virgin Islands
66.922 %
69
Belgium flag
Belgium
66.685 %
70
Congo flag
Congo
66.597 %
71
Botswana flag
Botswana
66.374 %
72
Croatia flag
Croatia
66.351 %
73
Burkina Faso flag
Burkina Faso
66.235 %
74
Central African Republic flag
Central African Republic
66.21 %
75
Guam flag
Guam
65.763 %
76
Montenegro flag
Montenegro
65.528 %
77
China, Hong Kong SAR flag
China, Hong Kong SAR
65.438 %
78
Qatar flag
Qatar
65.056 %
79
Laos flag
Laos
64.359 %
80
Kenya flag
Kenya
63.693 %
81
South Korea flag
South Korea
63.238 %
82
Georgia flag
Georgia
62.956 %
83
Zimbabwe flag
Zimbabwe
62.943 %
84
Paraguay flag
Paraguay
62.751 %
85
Armenia flag
Armenia
62.299 %
86
Congo, Democratic Republic of the flag
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
62.168 %
87
Argentina flag
Argentina
62.148 %
88
Greece flag
Greece
61.905 %
89
Haiti flag
Haiti
61.329 %
90
Guinea-Bissau flag
Guinea-Bissau
61.312 %
91
Timor-Leste flag
Timor-Leste
61.202 %
92
Brazil flag
Brazil
60.765 %
93
Cรดte d'Ivoire flag
Cรดte d'Ivoire
60.653 %
94
Chile flag
Chile
60.577 %
95
Rwanda flag
Rwanda
60.563 %
96
New Caledonia flag
New Caledonia
60.501 %
97
Ethiopia flag
Ethiopia
59.938 %
98
Brunei Darussalam flag
Brunei Darussalam
59.614 %
99
Bhutan flag
Bhutan
59.422 %
100
Malawi flag
Malawi
59.401 %
101
Trinidad and Tobago flag
Trinidad and Tobago
58.84 %
102
Panama flag
Panama
58.335 %
103
Togo flag
Togo
57.73 %
104
Cameroon flag
Cameroon
57.663 %
105
Italy flag
Italy
57.609 %
106
Ghana flag
Ghana
57.546 %
107
Dominican Republic flag
Dominican Republic
57.507 %
108
Colombia flag
Colombia
57.505 %
109
Romania flag
Romania
57.11 %
110
Zambia flag
Zambia
56.641 %
111
Mauritius flag
Mauritius
56.478 %
112
Mongolia flag
Mongolia
56.401 %
113
Malaysia flag
Malaysia
56.264 %
114
Namibia flag
Namibia
56.197 %
115
Cabo Verde flag
Cabo Verde
55.753 %
116
Ecuador flag
Ecuador
55.662 %
117
Indonesia flag
Indonesia
55.524 %
118
Vanuatu flag
Vanuatu
55.464 %
119
Equatorial Guinea flag
Equatorial Guinea
55.114 %
120
Mali flag
Mali
54.583 %
121
North Macedonia flag
North Macedonia
54.488 %
122
French Polynesia flag
French Polynesia
54.309 %
123
South Africa flag
South Africa
54.26 %
124
Nicaragua flag
Nicaragua
53.896 %
125
United Arab Emirates flag
United Arab Emirates
53.595 %
126
Sierra Leone flag
Sierra Leone
53.239 %
127
Philippines flag
Philippines
52.549 %
128
El Salvador flag
El Salvador
52.513 %
129
Bosnia and Herzegovina flag
Bosnia and Herzegovina
52.057 %
130
Mexico flag
Mexico
51.444 %
131
Papua New Guinea flag
Papua New Guinea
51.39 %
132
Cuba flag
Cuba
51.318 %
133
Costa Rica flag
Costa Rica
50.879 %
134
Eswatini flag
Eswatini
50.801 %
135
Lesotho flag
Lesotho
50.796 %
136
Kuwait flag
Kuwait
50.463 %
137
Guyana flag
Guyana
50.384 %
138
Suriname flag
Suriname
49.984 %
139
Puerto Rico flag
Puerto Rico
49.131 %
140
Comoros flag
Comoros
48.865 %
141
Chad flag
Chad
48.017 %
142
Kyrgyzstan flag
Kyrgyzstan
46.723 %
143
Gambia flag
Gambia
46.569 %
144
Belize flag
Belize
46.563 %
145
Uzbekistan flag
Uzbekistan
45.533 %
146
Tonga flag
Tonga
45.235 %
147
Myanmar flag
Myanmar
45.186 %
148
Bangladesh flag
Bangladesh
44.811 %
149
Bahrain flag
Bahrain
44.702 %
150
Guinea flag
Guinea
44.128 %
151
Gabon flag
Gabon
43.621 %
152
Maldives flag
Maldives
42.415 %
153
Honduras flag
Honduras
41.207 %
154
Fiji flag
Fiji
41.154 %
155
Turkmenistan flag
Turkmenistan
41.14 %
156
Turkey flag
Turkey
40.694 %
157
Venezuela flag
Venezuela
40.203 %
158
Guatemala flag
Guatemala
40.03 %
159
Senegal flag
Senegal
38.672 %
160
Libya flag
Libya
36.121 %
161
Saudi Arabia flag
Saudi Arabia
35.617 %
162
Samoa flag
Samoa
33.84 %
163
Sri Lanka flag
Sri Lanka
33.598 %
164
India flag
India
33.229 %
165
Oman flag
Oman
31.945 %
166
Tunisia flag
Tunisia
30.516 %
167
Nepal flag
Nepal
29.292 %
168
Mauritania flag
Mauritania
27.136 %
169
Pakistan flag
Pakistan
25.475 %
170
Lebanon flag
Lebanon
25.419 %
171
Sao Tome and Principe flag
Sao Tome and Principe
22.872 %
172
Tajikistan flag
Tajikistan
22.85 %
173
Somalia flag
Somalia
21.489 %
174
Morocco flag
Morocco
21.374 %
175
Djibouti flag
Djibouti
19.924 %
176
Egypt flag
Egypt
19.83 %
177
Jordan flag
Jordan
17.057 %
178
Algeria flag
Algeria
15.834 %
179
Iran flag
Iran
15.65 %
180
Syrian Arab Republic flag
Syrian Arab Republic
13.79 %
181
Iraq flag
Iraq
11.505 %
182
Afghanistan flag
Afghanistan
5.359 %
183
Yemen flag
Yemen
4.938 %

โ†‘Top 10 Countries

  1. #1North Korea flagNorth Korea
  2. #2Madagascar flagMadagascar
  3. #3Solomon Islands flagSolomon Islands
  4. #4Iceland flagIceland
  5. #5Sweden flagSweden
  6. #6Tanzania flagTanzania
  7. #7Netherlands flagNetherlands
  8. #8Nigeria flagNigeria
  9. #9Cambodia flagCambodia
  10. #10Burundi flagBurundi

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

โ†“Bottom 10 Countries

  1. #183Yemen flagYemen
  2. #182Afghanistan flagAfghanistan
  3. #181Iraq flagIraq
  4. #180Syrian Arab Republic flagSyrian Arab Republic
  5. #179Iran flagIran
  6. #178Algeria flagAlgeria
  7. #177Jordan flagJordan
  8. #176Egypt flagEgypt
  9. #175Djibouti flagDjibouti
  10. #174Morocco flagMorocco

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

Analysis & Context

In 2023, the Female Labor Force Participation Rate is led by North Korea with a participation rate of 86.91%, while the global range spans from a minimum of 4.94% to a maximum of 86.91%. The global average participation rate stands at 58.24%, providing a benchmark for understanding economic inclusivity across different regions.

High Participation in Nordic and Developing Nations

The Nordic countries, known for their progressive gender equality policies, continue to exhibit high female labor force participation. For instance, Iceland and Sweden report rates of 83.86% and 82.19% respectively. These figures reflect robust social policies that support work-life balance, such as parental leave and childcare services. Similarly, several developing nations like Madagascar and Solomon Islands show high participation rates of 84.48% and 84.22%. In these contexts, economic necessity often drives women's involvement in the workforce, compensating for less formal support structures.

Challenges in Middle Eastern and North African Regions

The Middle Eastern and North African regions feature some of the lowest participation rates, with Yemen and Afghanistan at the bottom with 4.94% and 5.36% respectively. Cultural norms, restrictive legal frameworks, and limited access to education are significant barriers. In Iran and Algeria, where participation rates are 15.65% and 15.83%, restrictive socio-political environments further inhibit women's economic engagement.

Urbanization and Economic Development

Urbanization plays a crucial role in shaping female labor force participation. Countries with rapidly urbanizing populations often see shifts in employment patterns. For example, Nigeria, with its high urban growth rate, has a participation rate of 81.88%. Urban centers offer more diverse employment opportunities and can reduce traditional barriers to women's workforce entry. Conversely, countries with slower urban development, like Afghanistan and Yemen, struggle to provide such opportunities, reflected in their low participation rates.

Year-over-Year Trends and Significant Changes

Analyzing year-over-year trends, Mauritius experienced the most substantial increase in female labor force participation, rising by 6.32% (12.6%). This growth can be attributed to initiatives aimed at enhancing female education and workforce integration. Bhutan and Montenegro also saw notable increases of 4.20% (7.6%) and 4.01% (6.5%) respectively, reflecting policy shifts towards gender inclusivity.

Conversely, Costa Rica faced a significant decline of 6.61% (-11.5%), potentially due to economic contractions affecting sectors with high female employment. Similarly, Honduras and Mongolia saw decreases of 4.41% (-9.7%) and 2.28% (-3.9%), highlighting vulnerabilities in economic structures disproportionately impacting women.

In conclusion, the Female Labor Force Participation Rate in 2023 underscores the diverse factors influencing women's economic roles globally. From policy-driven high participation in Nordic countries to cultural and economic barriers in Middle Eastern regions, understanding these dynamics is crucial for crafting effective strategies to enhance gender inclusivity in the workforce.

Frequently Asked Questions About Female Labor Force Participation Rate in 2023

Which country has the highest female labor force participation rate in 2023?

North Korea has the highest female labor force participation rate in 2023, with 86.91%.

Which country has the lowest female labor force participation rate in 2023?

Yemen has the lowest female labor force participation rate in 2023, with 4.94%.

What is the average female labor force participation rate across all countries in 2023?

The average female labor force participation rate across all countries in 2023 is 58.24%.

What is the median female labor force participation rate in 2023?

The median female labor force participation rate in 2023 is 60.77%.

Which countries are in the top 3 for female labor force participation rate in 2023?

The top 3 countries for female labor force participation rate in 2023 are North Korea (86.91%), Madagascar (84.48%), and Solomon Islands (84.22%).

How many countries are included in the dataset for female labor force participation rate in 2023?

The dataset for female labor force participation rate in 2023 includes 183 countries.

Insights by country

1

Qatar

In 2023, Qatar ranks #78 globally with a Female Labor Force Participation Rate of 65.056%. This figure is notably higher than the global average, reflecting the country's progressive policies aimed at increasing women's employment. Factors contributing to this rate include Qatar's economic diversification efforts and initiatives promoting gender equality in the workforce.

2

India

In 2023, India ranks #164 globally with a Female Labor Force Participation Rate of 33.229%. This figure is significantly lower than the global average, reflecting challenges in gender equality in the workforce. Key drivers include cultural norms that prioritize traditional roles for women and limited access to education and employment opportunities in many regions. Additionally, economic factors such as informal labor markets and lack of supportive policies further hinder female participation in the labor force.

3

Guinea

In 2023, Guinea's Female Labor Force Participation Rate stands at 44.128 %, ranking #150 out of 183 countries. This rate is significantly lower than the global average, reflecting challenges in gender equality and economic participation. Key factors influencing this statistic include limited access to education and vocational training for women, as well as traditional societal norms that restrict their employment opportunities.

4

Croatia

In 2023, Croatia's Female Labor Force Participation Rate is 66.351 %, ranking #72 out of 183 countries. This rate is slightly below the European Union average, indicating room for improvement in gender equality in the labor market. Factors contributing to this participation rate include Croatia's post-war economic recovery and ongoing efforts to enhance women's roles in the workforce through various policies and initiatives.

5

Honduras

In 2023, Honduras has a Female Labor Force Participation Rate of 41.207 %, ranking #153 out of 183 countries. This rate is significantly lower than the global average, reflecting broader regional trends in Central America where female participation in the workforce often lags behind. Key drivers include limited access to education, economic instability, and cultural norms that prioritize traditional gender roles, which collectively hinder women's employment opportunities.

6

Bulgaria

Bulgaria ranks #55 globally with a Female Labor Force Participation Rate of 70.473% in 2023. This rate is notably higher than the global average, reflecting a commitment to gender equality in the workforce.

Key drivers of this participation include Bulgaria's EU membership, which has fostered policies aimed at improving women's employment opportunities, and a growing service sector that increasingly values female labor. Additionally, demographic trends show a relatively high level of education among women, further contributing to their active role in the labor market.

7

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

In 2023, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ranks #66 globally with a Female Labor Force Participation Rate of 67.314%. This rate is notably higher than the global average, reflecting a commitment to gender equality in the workforce. Contributing factors include the country's focus on education for women and initiatives aimed at increasing female employment in various sectors, particularly in tourism and agriculture.

8

Saint Lucia

In 2023, Saint Lucia ranks #60 globally with a Female Labor Force Participation Rate of 69.589%. This rate is notably higher than the global average, reflecting the country's commitment to gender equality in the workforce.

Key drivers include a strong emphasis on education for women and government policies that promote female employment, particularly in tourism and service sectors, which are vital to the economy.

9

New Zealand

In 2023, New Zealand ranks #14 globally with a Female Labor Force Participation Rate of 79.48%. This rate is notably higher than the global average, reflecting New Zealand's progressive labor policies and strong emphasis on gender equality. Key drivers include comprehensive parental leave policies and a robust support system for working mothers, which facilitate women's participation in the workforce.

10

Senegal

In 2023, Senegal ranks #159 globally with a Female Labor Force Participation Rate of 38.672%. This figure is notably lower than the global average, highlighting significant barriers to women's economic engagement compared to countries with higher participation rates. Factors contributing to this low rate include traditional gender roles, limited access to education and vocational training for women, and economic structures that often favor male employment in key sectors.

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.

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Historical Data by Year

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

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