Female Labor Force Participation Rate 2025

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

181 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
87.344 %
2
Madagascar flag
Madagascar
84.596 %
3
Solomon Islands flag
Solomon Islands
84.253 %
4
Iceland flag
Iceland
83.953 %
5
Sweden flag
Sweden
82.283 %
6
Netherlands flag
Netherlands
82.15 %
7
Cambodia flag
Cambodia
82.058 %
8
Tanzania flag
Tanzania
81.973 %
9
Nigeria flag
Nigeria
81.901 %
10
Bahamas flag
Bahamas
81.39 %
11
Estonia flag
Estonia
80.815 %
12
Burundi flag
Burundi
80.786 %
13
Switzerland flag
Switzerland
80.728 %
14
Denmark flag
Denmark
79.848 %
15
New Zealand flag
New Zealand
79.248 %
16
Finland flag
Finland
78.671 %
17
Norway flag
Norway
77.979 %
18
Mozambique flag
Mozambique
77.693 %
19
Australia flag
Australia
77.393 %
20
Lithuania flag
Lithuania
77.371 %
21
Japan flag
Japan
76.965 %
22
Uganda flag
Uganda
76.931 %
23
Canada flag
Canada
76.717 %
24
Benin flag
Benin
76.565 %
25
Belarus flag
Belarus
76.562 %
26
Barbados flag
Barbados
76.411 %
27
Eritrea flag
Eritrea
76.187 %
28
Germany flag
Germany
75.97 %
29
Portugal flag
Portugal
75.958 %
30
Republic of Moldova flag
Republic of Moldova
75.717 %
31
Vietnam flag
Vietnam
75.123 %
32
Bolivia flag
Bolivia
74.853 %
33
Malta flag
Malta
74.566 %
34
Latvia flag
Latvia
74.505 %
35
Hungary flag
Hungary
74.285 %
36
Cyprus flag
Cyprus
74.282 %
37
Niger flag
Niger
73.969 %
38
China, Macao SAR flag
China, Macao SAR
73.89 %
39
Austria flag
Austria
73.799 %
40
United Kingdom flag
United Kingdom
73.493 %
41
Liberia flag
Liberia
73.478 %
42
Kazakhstan flag
Kazakhstan
73.348 %
43
Angola flag
Angola
73.325 %
44
Ireland flag
Ireland
72.975 %
45
Israel flag
Israel
72.692 %
46
Slovakia flag
Slovakia
72.638 %
47
Slovenia flag
Slovenia
72.539 %
48
Singapore flag
Singapore
72.052 %
49
Albania flag
Albania
71.988 %
50
Uruguay flag
Uruguay
71.95 %
51
Russia flag
Russia
71.938 %
52
Czech Republic flag
Czech Republic
71.878 %
53
Luxembourg flag
Luxembourg
71.445 %
54
Spain flag
Spain
71.362 %
55
France flag
France
71.147 %
56
Saint Lucia flag
Saint Lucia
69.925 %
57
Poland flag
Poland
69.777 %
58
Bulgaria flag
Bulgaria
69.71 %
59
China flag
China
69.576 %
60
Peru flag
Peru
69.559 %
61
Azerbaijan flag
Azerbaijan
69.293 %
62
Serbia flag
Serbia
69.137 %
63
Thailand flag
Thailand
69.007 %
64
United States flag
United States
68.985 %
65
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines flag
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
68.592 %
66
Jamaica flag
Jamaica
68.51 %
67
United States Virgin Islands flag
United States Virgin Islands
67.472 %
68
Croatia flag
Croatia
67.381 %
69
Belgium flag
Belgium
67.172 %
70
Botswana flag
Botswana
66.728 %
71
Guam flag
Guam
66.723 %
72
Congo flag
Congo
66.566 %
73
China, Hong Kong SAR flag
China, Hong Kong SAR
66.224 %
74
Central African Republic flag
Central African Republic
66.102 %
75
Montenegro flag
Montenegro
65.549 %
76
Burkina Faso flag
Burkina Faso
65.503 %
77
Laos flag
Laos
64.678 %
78
South Korea flag
South Korea
64.392 %
79
Kenya flag
Kenya
63.835 %
80
Georgia flag
Georgia
63.808 %
81
Qatar flag
Qatar
63.617 %
82
Paraguay flag
Paraguay
63.063 %
83
Armenia flag
Armenia
62.946 %
84
Zimbabwe flag
Zimbabwe
62.928 %
85
Greece flag
Greece
62.687 %
86
Congo, Democratic Republic of the flag
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
62.309 %
87
Chile flag
Chile
62.188 %
88
Timor-Leste flag
Timor-Leste
62.054 %
89
Argentina flag
Argentina
61.777 %
90
Guinea-Bissau flag
Guinea-Bissau
61.586 %
91
Brazil flag
Brazil
61.511 %
92
Panama flag
Panama
61.06 %
93
Cรดte d'Ivoire flag
Cรดte d'Ivoire
60.89 %
94
Haiti flag
Haiti
60.353 %
95
Ethiopia flag
Ethiopia
60.348 %
96
Rwanda flag
Rwanda
60.126 %
97
Brunei Darussalam flag
Brunei Darussalam
59.759 %
98
New Caledonia flag
New Caledonia
59.71 %
99
Bhutan flag
Bhutan
59.648 %
100
Dominican Republic flag
Dominican Republic
59.208 %
101
Malawi flag
Malawi
58.955 %
102
Togo flag
Togo
57.924 %
103
Colombia flag
Colombia
57.676 %
104
Romania flag
Romania
57.598 %
105
Italy flag
Italy
57.372 %
106
Ghana flag
Ghana
57.371 %
107
Cameroon flag
Cameroon
57.184 %
108
Mauritius flag
Mauritius
57.134 %
109
Trinidad and Tobago flag
Trinidad and Tobago
57.012 %
110
Zambia flag
Zambia
56.748 %
111
Malaysia flag
Malaysia
56.665 %
112
Namibia flag
Namibia
56.393 %
113
Cabo Verde flag
Cabo Verde
56.354 %
114
North Macedonia flag
North Macedonia
55.891 %
115
Indonesia flag
Indonesia
55.857 %
116
Ecuador flag
Ecuador
55.751 %
117
Mongolia flag
Mongolia
55.723 %
118
South Africa flag
South Africa
55.396 %
119
Vanuatu flag
Vanuatu
55.314 %
120
Nicaragua flag
Nicaragua
54.641 %
121
Equatorial Guinea flag
Equatorial Guinea
54.47 %
122
United Arab Emirates flag
United Arab Emirates
54.338 %
123
Mali flag
Mali
54.321 %
124
French Polynesia flag
French Polynesia
54.185 %
125
Costa Rica flag
Costa Rica
53.457 %
126
El Salvador flag
El Salvador
53.29 %
127
Sierra Leone flag
Sierra Leone
53.099 %
128
Philippines flag
Philippines
52.77 %
129
Bosnia and Herzegovina flag
Bosnia and Herzegovina
52.499 %
130
Mexico flag
Mexico
51.877 %
131
Guyana flag
Guyana
51.661 %
132
Papua New Guinea flag
Papua New Guinea
51.622 %
133
Eswatini flag
Eswatini
51.246 %
134
Suriname flag
Suriname
51.006 %
135
Puerto Rico flag
Puerto Rico
50.629 %
136
Lesotho flag
Lesotho
50.487 %
137
Cuba flag
Cuba
50.427 %
138
Kuwait flag
Kuwait
49.572 %
139
Comoros flag
Comoros
49.492 %
140
Belize flag
Belize
49.322 %
141
Kyrgyzstan flag
Kyrgyzstan
47.765 %
142
Chad flag
Chad
47.525 %
143
Gambia flag
Gambia
46.9 %
144
Uzbekistan flag
Uzbekistan
45.782 %
145
Myanmar flag
Myanmar
45.316 %
146
Tonga flag
Tonga
45.028 %
147
Bahrain flag
Bahrain
44.847 %
148
Guinea flag
Guinea
44.053 %
149
Gabon flag
Gabon
43.386 %
150
Maldives flag
Maldives
43.174 %
151
Turkey flag
Turkey
42.477 %
152
Venezuela flag
Venezuela
41.579 %
153
Honduras flag
Honduras
41.564 %
154
Bangladesh flag
Bangladesh
41.475 %
155
Turkmenistan flag
Turkmenistan
41.455 %
156
Fiji flag
Fiji
41.298 %
157
Guatemala flag
Guatemala
40.335 %
158
Senegal flag
Senegal
39.178 %
159
Libya flag
Libya
35.74 %
160
Sri Lanka flag
Sri Lanka
35.445 %
161
Saudi Arabia flag
Saudi Arabia
34.89 %
162
India flag
India
34.875 %
163
Samoa flag
Samoa
33.511 %
164
Oman flag
Oman
31.584 %
165
Tunisia flag
Tunisia
30.494 %
166
Nepal flag
Nepal
29.554 %
167
Mauritania flag
Mauritania
27.134 %
168
Pakistan flag
Pakistan
25.582 %
169
Tajikistan flag
Tajikistan
23.223 %
170
Sao Tome and Principe flag
Sao Tome and Principe
22.763 %
171
Morocco flag
Morocco
21.534 %
172
Somalia flag
Somalia
21.5 %
173
Djibouti flag
Djibouti
20.433 %
174
Egypt flag
Egypt
19.872 %
175
Jordan flag
Jordan
17.26 %
176
Algeria flag
Algeria
15.704 %
177
Iran flag
Iran
15.647 %
178
Syrian Arab Republic flag
Syrian Arab Republic
13.641 %
179
Iraq flag
Iraq
11.533 %
180
Afghanistan flag
Afghanistan
5.3 %
181
Yemen flag
Yemen
4.847 %

โ†‘Top 10 Countries

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

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

โ†“Bottom 10 Countries

  1. #181Yemen flagYemen
  2. #180Afghanistan flagAfghanistan
  3. #179Iraq flagIraq
  4. #178Syrian Arab Republic flagSyrian Arab Republic
  5. #177Iran flagIran
  6. #176Algeria flagAlgeria
  7. #175Jordan flagJordan
  8. #174Egypt flagEgypt
  9. #173Djibouti flagDjibouti
  10. #172Somalia flagSomalia

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

Analysis & Context

In 2025, the Female Labor Force Participation Rate is led by North Korea at 87.34%, while Yemen records the lowest at 4.85%. Globally, the participation rates span a wide range, underscoring diverse economic and cultural landscapes. The average rate across 181 countries is 58.64%, providing a benchmark for understanding female economic engagement worldwide.

Economic Influences on Female Labor Participation

The Female Labor Force Participation Rate often reflects a country's economic structure and development policies. For instance, North Korea and Madagascar, with rates of 87.34% and 84.60% respectively, showcase high participation due to economic necessity and government policies promoting gender equality in the workforce. In contrast, countries like Yemen and Afghanistan, with participation rates of 4.85% and 5.30%, face economic challenges and cultural norms that restrict women's work opportunities. These disparities highlight the impact of both economic pressures and socio-cultural factors on female workforce engagement.

Policy and Cultural Drivers

Government policies and cultural norms significantly affect women's workforce participation. In Iceland and Sweden, where rates are 83.95% and 82.28%, progressive policies such as parental leave and childcare support facilitate women's employment. Conversely, in Iran and Algeria, with rates of 15.65% and 15.70%, traditional gender roles and limited policy support for working women contribute to lower participation. These examples underscore the profound influence of policy frameworks and cultural attitudes on female labor force engagement.

Regional Disparities and Demographic Factors

Geographical and demographic factors also play crucial roles. In regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, countries such as Nigeria and Tanzania show high participation rates of 81.90% and 81.97%, driven by agrarian economies where women are essential contributors. Conversely, Middle Eastern countries like Iraq and Syria have lower rates of 11.53% and 13.64%, influenced by geopolitical instability and conservative norms. This regional analysis highlights how economic sectors and demographic pressures shape labor participation.

Year-over-Year Changes and Economic Shifts

Observing year-over-year changes, Belize experienced the most significant increase with a 6.3% rise, reflecting economic diversification and improved educational opportunities for women. Albania and Singapore also saw notable increases of 1.6% and 1.1%, respectively, attributed to policy reforms and economic growth. Conversely, Kazakhstan faced the largest decrease of 3.5%, possibly due to economic restructuring and reduced demand in traditionally female-dominated sectors. Such shifts indicate how economic policies and market dynamics influence female labor force participation over time.

Frequently Asked Questions About Female Labor Force Participation Rate in 2025

Which country has the highest female labor force participation rate in 2025?

North Korea has the highest female labor force participation rate in 2025, with 87.34%.

What is the average female labor force participation rate across all countries in 2025?

The average female labor force participation rate across all countries in 2025 is 58.64%.

Which country has the lowest female labor force participation rate in 2025?

Yemen has the lowest female labor force participation rate in 2025, with 4.85%.

What is the median female labor force participation rate in 2025?

The median female labor force participation rate in 2025 is 61.51%.

Can you list the top three countries by female labor force participation rate in 2025?

The top three countries by female labor force participation rate in 2025 are North Korea with 87.34%, Madagascar with 84.6%, and Solomon Islands with 84.25%.

What is the range of female labor force participation rates in 2025?

The range of female labor force participation rates in 2025 spans from Yemen at 4.85% to North Korea at 87.34%.

Insights by country

1

United Arab Emirates

In 2025, the United Arab Emirates ranks #122 globally with a Female Labor Force Participation Rate of 54.338%. This rate is below the global average, reflecting challenges in gender equality in the workforce compared to higher-ranking countries. Key drivers for this statistic include cultural norms and policies that have historically limited women's roles in certain sectors, despite recent efforts to enhance female employment through various initiatives.

2

Mali

Mali's Female Labor Force Participation Rate is 54.321%, ranking it #123 out of 181 countries in 2025. This rate is below the global average, reflecting challenges in gender equality in the workforce. Key drivers include cultural norms that often limit women's employment opportunities and a lack of access to education and vocational training for females. Additionally, economic factors such as reliance on subsistence agriculture impact women's ability to engage in formal labor markets.

3

New Caledonia

In 2025, New Caledonia ranks #98 globally with a Female Labor Force Participation Rate of 59.71%. This figure is below the global average, reflecting challenges in gender equality within the labor market compared to neighboring Pacific nations. Key drivers include the region's economic reliance on mining and tourism, which traditionally employ more men, along with cultural factors that influence women's workforce engagement.

4

Mauritania

Mauritania's Female Labor Force Participation Rate is 27.134 %, ranking it #167 out of 181 countries in 2025. This rate is significantly lower than the global average, indicating a substantial gender gap in the workforce. Factors contributing to this low participation include traditional societal roles, limited access to education for women, and economic structures that favor male employment in sectors like agriculture and mining.

5

Guinea-Bissau

In 2025, Guinea-Bissau ranks #90 globally with a Female Labor Force Participation Rate of 61.586%. This rate is notably higher than the global average, indicating a relatively strong involvement of women in the workforce compared to many countries. Key drivers include the countryโ€™s ongoing efforts to promote gender equality and the necessity for dual-income households in a challenging economic environment. Additionally, cultural shifts are encouraging women to participate more actively in economic activities.

6

Norway

In 2025, Norway ranks #17 globally with a Female Labor Force Participation Rate of 77.979 %. This figure is notably higher than the global average, reflecting the country's commitment to gender equality in the workplace.

Norway's robust labor policies, including generous parental leave and subsidized childcare, have significantly contributed to this high participation rate. Additionally, a strong emphasis on work-life balance and progressive gender norms further empower women to engage actively in the labor market.

7

Nepal

Nepal ranks #166 globally in Female Labor Force Participation Rate, with a value of 29.554% in 2025. This rate is significantly lower than the global average, reflecting challenges in gender equality in the workforce. Key drivers include traditional gender roles, limited access to education and employment opportunities for women, and economic structures that prioritize male labor. Additionally, rural demographics and societal norms further inhibit female participation in the labor market.

8

Papua New Guinea

In 2025, Papua New Guinea has a Female Labor Force Participation Rate of 51.622 %, ranking #132 out of 181 countries. This rate is notably lower than the global average, reflecting challenges in gender equality within the workforce. Key drivers include cultural norms that often limit women's economic opportunities and a lack of supportive policies for female employment, particularly in rural areas where traditional roles prevail.

9

Romania

In 2025, Romania's Female Labor Force Participation Rate is 57.598%, ranking #104 out of 181 countries. This figure is notably lower than the European Union average, which underscores ongoing gender disparities in the workforce. Key drivers of this rate include traditional gender roles and a slower pace of economic reforms, which have limited women's access to certain sectors and leadership positions.

10

Mauritius

In 2025, Mauritius ranks #108 globally with a Female Labor Force Participation Rate of 57.134%. This rate is lower than the global average, reflecting challenges in gender equality in the workplace compared to top-ranking countries. Key drivers behind this statistic include cultural norms and the need for policies that support women's employment opportunities, particularly in sectors such as tourism and textiles, which are vital to the Mauritian economy.

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