Female labour force participation

181 countries, 2025. Unit: % of women 15+.

First in the ranking
82.9 %
Madagascar
Median country
53.4 %
half above, half below
World
48.9 %
World Bank aggregate
Range
4.7 to 82.9
Yemen - Madagascar

How to read it

Across 181 countries worldwide, the highest value is in Madagascar (82.9 %) and the lowest in Yemen (4.7 %).

The median country is at 53.4 %: half are above, half below.

For the world as a whole, the value fell from 50.8 % in 1996 to 48.9 % in 2025.

The labor force participation rate is the labor force as a percent of the population ages 15 and older. The labor force is the sum of all persons of working age who are employed and those who are unemployed.

Compare selected countries · on the world map

Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external… · via World Bank WDI (SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS) · licence

Women in the labour force over time

%

Add to chart:

Ranking of countries

2025
In chart Continent Share of the highest value
1Madagascar82.9Africa
2Solomon Islands82.3Oceania
3Nigeria80.7Africa
4Tanzania80.3Africa
5Burundi79.5Africa
6North Korea77.7Asia
7Cambodia77.4Asia
8Mozambique77.1Africa
9Uganda75.6Africa
10Benin75.2Africa
11Bolivia72.9South America
12Eritrea72.8Africa
13Niger72.8Africa
14Moldova72.3Europe
15Angola72.2Africa
16Liberia72.0Africa
17Bahamas70.7North America
18Iceland70.0Europe
19Vietnam68.6Asia
20New Zealand66.1Oceania
21Republic of the Congo65.6Africa
22Central African Republic65.5Africa
23Peru65.0South America
24Burkina Faso64.1Africa
25Botswana63.7Africa
26Singapore63.6Asia
27Macao63.1Asia
28Kenya63.0Africa
29Jamaica63.0North America
30Netherlands62.7Europe
31Kazakhstan62.6Asia
32Australia62.5Oceania
33Israel62.3Asia
34Switzerland62.2Europe
35Zimbabwe62.2Africa
36Norway62.1Europe
37Saint Lucia62.0North America
38Qatar61.9Asia
39Democratic Republic of the Congo61.8Africa
40Timor-Leste61.7Asia
41Laos61.6Asia
42Sweden61.5Europe
43Cyprus61.2Asia
44Barbados61.0North America
45Estonia61.0Europe
46Denmark60.8Europe
47Azerbaijan60.8Asia
48Guinea-Bissau60.3Africa
49Canada60.2North America
50Ireland59.8Europe
51Côte d'Ivoire59.5Africa
52Saint Vincent and the Grenadines59.2North America
53China59.1Asia
54Paraguay59.0South America
55Thailand59.0Asia
56Albania58.6Europe
57Ethiopia58.5Africa
58Haiti58.3North America
59Malawi58.2Africa
60Lithuania57.7Europe
61Luxembourg57.5Europe
62United Kingdom57.3Europe
63Rwanda57.3Africa
64Uruguay57.3South America
65South Korea56.8Asia
66Belarus56.8Europe
67Bhutan56.7Asia
68Georgia56.7Asia
69Togo56.6Africa
70Cameroon56.6Africa
71Guam56.5Oceania
72Finland56.5Europe
73Zambia56.4Africa
74United States56.3North America
75Japan55.9Asia
76Malta55.8Europe
77Germany55.3Europe
78Ghana55.3Africa
79Latvia55.2Europe
80Slovakia55.1Europe
81Austria55.1Europe
82Panama54.9North America
83Namibia54.9Africa
84Portugal54.6Europe
85Russia54.5Europe
86Brunei54.4Asia
87Hungary54.3Europe
88Indonesia53.7Asia
89Dominican Republic53.7North America
90Czechia53.5Europe
91Brazil53.4South America
92Vanuatu53.3Oceania
93United Arab Emirates53.0Asia
94Chile52.9South America
95Mali52.8Africa
96Spain52.8Europe
97United States Virgin Islands52.8North America
98Serbia52.6Europe
99Equatorial Guinea52.6Africa
100Argentina52.5South America
101Ecuador52.4South America
102Slovenia52.3Europe
103Hong Kong51.8Asia
104Malaysia51.6Asia
105Colombia51.6South America
106Poland51.6Europe
107Sierra Leone51.6Africa
108France51.5Europe
109Mongolia51.5Asia
110Nicaragua51.3North America
111Montenegro51.2Europe
112New Caledonia51.1Oceania
113Armenia51.1Asia
114Papua New Guinea50.8Oceania
115Philippines50.5Asia
116Cabo Verde50.5Africa
117Bulgaria50.4Europe
118South Africa49.9Africa
119Belgium49.8Europe
120El Salvador49.1North America
121Eswatini48.5Africa
122Lesotho48.1Africa
123Trinidad and Tobago47.8North America
124Comoros47.6Africa
125Mauritius47.5Africa
126Mexico47.5North America
127Croatia47.4Europe
128Guyana47.4South America
129Chad47.3Africa
130Kuwait47.2Asia
131French Polynesia46.6Oceania
132Belize46.5North America
133Costa Rica46.0North America
134The Gambia45.5Africa
135Suriname44.9South America
136Greece44.7Europe
137Kyrgyzstan44.1Asia
138North Macedonia42.7Europe
139Guinea42.6Africa
140Tonga42.3Oceania
141Bahrain42.3Asia
142Romania41.8Europe
143Gabon41.6Africa
144Uzbekistan41.2Asia
145Myanmar40.9Asia
146Italy40.8Europe
147Maldives40.7Asia
148Cuba40.0North America
149Honduras39.6North America
150Bosnia and Herzegovina39.2Europe
151Bangladesh38.6Asia
152Fiji38.5Oceania
153Guatemala38.3North America
154Turkmenistan38.2Asia
155Senegal38.2Africa
156Türkiye37.1Asia
157Venezuela37.1South America
158Puerto Rico36.9North America
159Saudi Arabia33.6Asia
160Libya33.0Africa
161India32.4Asia
162Sri Lanka31.0Asia
163Samoa30.7Oceania
164Oman30.0Asia
165Nepal27.5Asia
166Tunisia26.5Africa
167Mauritania26.2Africa
168Pakistan24.0Asia
169São Tomé and Principe22.7Africa
170Tajikistan21.9Asia
171Somalia20.7Africa
172Morocco19.7Africa
173Djibouti19.4Africa
174Egypt18.5Africa
175Jordan16.0Asia
176Algeria14.1Africa
177Iran14.0Asia
178Syria12.7Asia
179Iraq10.9Asia
180Afghanistan5.1Asia
181Yemen4.7Asia
World Bank, WDI · SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS · 2025 · CC BY 4.0 Source and licence

Biggest changes, 2015-2025

change in percentage points · 181 countries

Largest increase

  1. Bolivia 57.0 → 72.9 +15.8 pp
  2. Comoros 34.8 → 47.6 +12.9 pp
  3. Malta 43.0 → 55.8 +12.8 pp
  4. Saudi Arabia 21.6 → 33.6 +11.9 pp
  5. Albania 47.1 → 58.6 +11.5 pp

Largest decrease

  1. Afghanistan 19.1 → 5.1 −14.0 pp
  2. Ethiopia 70.2 → 58.5 −11.7 pp
  3. Venezuela 48.3 → 37.1 −11.2 pp
  4. Samoa 41.4 → 30.7 −10.7 pp
  5. Myanmar 50.8 → 40.9 −9.9 pp

Continents over time

median country of each continent

Women in the labour force - continent medians

%

Africa Asia Europe North America South America Oceania

40 45 50 55 60 65 1990 Africa: 57.11 Asia: 44.73 Europe: 51.61 North America: 44 South America: 44.07 Oceania: 52.31 1991 Africa: 57.1 Asia: 44.84 Europe: 51.75 North America: 44.08 South America: 44.56 Oceania: 52.04 1992 Africa: 57.08 Asia: 46.35 Europe: 51.62 North America: 44.53 South America: 45.84 Oceania: 52 1993 Africa: 57.8 Asia: 46.64 Europe: 51.55 North America: 44.73 South America: 47.07 Oceania: 51.77 1994 Africa: 58.55 Asia: 47.17 Europe: 51.36 North America: 44.99 South America: 47.82 Oceania: 52.67 1995 Africa: 59.32 Asia: 47.38 Europe: 51.37 North America: 45.21 South America: 48.5 Oceania: 53.68 1996 Africa: 59.95 Asia: 47.46 Europe: 50.86 North America: 45.28 South America: 48.38 Oceania: 53.86 1997 Africa: 60.23 Asia: 47.67 Europe: 50.47 North America: 45.48 South America: 48.71 Oceania: 53.66 1998 Africa: 60.46 Asia: 47.69 Europe: 51.03 North America: 45.74 South America: 50.38 Oceania: 53.72 1999 Africa: 60.49 Asia: 48.19 Europe: 50.81 North America: 45.91 South America: 49.78 Oceania: 53.73 2000 Africa: 60.2 Asia: 48.92 Europe: 50.83 North America: 46.08 South America: 49.76 Oceania: 54.62 2001 Africa: 59.57 Asia: 49.15 Europe: 49.94 North America: 46.14 South America: 50.49 Oceania: 55.16 2002 Africa: 58.94 Asia: 48.25 Europe: 50.95 North America: 46.41 South America: 48.84 Oceania: 54.4 2003 Africa: 58.3 Asia: 48 Europe: 50.44 North America: 47.98 South America: 49.24 Oceania: 53.5 2004 Africa: 57.66 Asia: 47.57 Europe: 50.41 North America: 47.26 South America: 51.34 Oceania: 52.6 2005 Africa: 57.02 Asia: 47.45 Europe: 50.66 North America: 47.95 South America: 50.51 Oceania: 54.8 2006 Africa: 56.41 Asia: 46.81 Europe: 50.55 North America: 46.8 South America: 50.78 Oceania: 55.19 2007 Africa: 56.89 Asia: 48 Europe: 50.62 North America: 47.58 South America: 50.97 Oceania: 48.29 2008 Africa: 55.77 Asia: 47.71 Europe: 50.76 North America: 48.59 South America: 51.2 Oceania: 50.81 2009 Africa: 55.99 Asia: 48.15 Europe: 52.02 North America: 47.01 South America: 51.96 Oceania: 53.32 2010 Africa: 55.85 Asia: 48.23 Europe: 51.82 North America: 48.36 South America: 51.32 Oceania: 56.44 2011 Africa: 55.9 Asia: 48.54 Europe: 52.35 North America: 46.48 South America: 51.58 Oceania: 56.11 2012 Africa: 55.94 Asia: 48.67 Europe: 52.32 North America: 51.44 South America: 51.18 Oceania: 56.18 2013 Africa: 57.28 Asia: 48.75 Europe: 51.93 North America: 51.25 South America: 51.24 Oceania: 56.24 2014 Africa: 56.04 Asia: 49.36 Europe: 52.53 North America: 51.34 South America: 51.5 Oceania: 56.17 2015 Africa: 56.11 Asia: 49.53 Europe: 52.62 North America: 51.49 South America: 52.61 Oceania: 55.73 2016 Africa: 55.69 Asia: 49.38 Europe: 52.51 North America: 51.92 South America: 54.12 Oceania: 55.28 2017 Africa: 55.74 Asia: 50.4 Europe: 53.54 North America: 51.62 South America: 54.35 Oceania: 54.84 2018 Africa: 55.62 Asia: 50.46 Europe: 53.72 North America: 52.91 South America: 53.86 Oceania: 54.37 2019 Africa: 55.32 Asia: 50.06 Europe: 53.38 North America: 52.73 South America: 53.53 Oceania: 53.25 2020 Africa: 55.34 Asia: 48.95 Europe: 53.11 North America: 49.33 South America: 49.29 Oceania: 53.38 2021 Africa: 54.12 Asia: 48.98 Europe: 53.47 North America: 50.25 South America: 52.08 Oceania: 52.95 2022 Africa: 54.74 Asia: 50.31 Europe: 55.3 North America: 50.48 South America: 52.87 Oceania: 52.59 2023 Africa: 56.43 Asia: 51.52 Europe: 55.48 North America: 52.48 South America: 52.74 Oceania: 52.22 2024 Africa: 56.37 Asia: 51.6 Europe: 55.44 North America: 52.83 South America: 52.59 Oceania: 51.61 2025 Africa: 56.43 Asia: 51.26 Europe: 55.09 North America: 52.77 South America: 52.68 Oceania: 51.07 1990 2002 2008 2014 2025

By continent

median country
Africa 56.4 %
Asia 51.3 %
Europe 55.1 %
North America 52.8 %
South America 52.7 %
Oceania 51.1 %

Tick a country in the table to add it to the chart above, up to six at a time. The ranking uses the latest year for which at least half of the countries have a value; countries without a value that year are not listed.