Labor force, female (% of total labor force) by country
Female labor force as a percentage of the total show the extent to which women are active in the labor force. Labor force comprises people ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.
Countries reporting
186
Highest
55.4%
Moldova
Lowest
6.8%
Afghanistan
Median
45.6%
Years covered
36
1990–2025
Data points
8,410
What the numbers show
Labor force, female (% of total labor force) is currently reported for 186 countries. The highest value is 55.4% in Moldova; the lowest is 6.8% in Afghanistan.
The median across all reporting countries is 45.6%, and the mean is 41.8%.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 8.
Over the past decade 116 countries rose and 70 fell. The largest increase was in Saudi Arabia (up 55.1%), and the largest decrease in Afghanistan (down 66.6%).
Labor force, female: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moldova | 55.4% | 2025 | up 2.9% | rising |
| 2 | United States Virgin Islands | 51.9% | 2025 | up 3.7% | rising |
| 3 | Mozambique | 51.7% | 2025 | down 2.0% | falling |
| 4 | Burundi | 51.6% | 2025 | down 0.3% | flat |
| 5 | Togo | 51.3% | 2025 | up 2.1% | rising |
| 6 | Hong Kong | 51.2% | 2025 | up 3.7% | rising |
| 7 | Macao | 51.0% | 2025 | up 2.1% | rising |
| 8 | Bahamas | 50.7% | 2025 | up 2.0% | rising |
| 9 | Azerbaijan | 49.9% | 2025 | down 2.4% | flat |
| 10 | Latvia | 49.8% | 2025 | up 0.5% | flat |
| 11 | Estonia | 49.7% | 2025 | up 2.0% | flat |
| 12 | Portugal | 49.7% | 2025 | up 1.9% | rising |
| 13 | Barbados | 49.7% | 2025 | down 0.4% | rising |
| 14 | Zimbabwe | 49.6% | 2025 | down 1.1% | rising |
| 15 | South Sudan | 49.6% | 2023 | down 1.3% | flat |
| 16 | Sao Tome and Principe | 49.4% | 2025 | up 3.5% | rising |
| 17 | Benin | 49.4% | 2025 | down 0.3% | rising |
| 18 | Angola | 49.4% | 2025 | down 0.7% | flat |
| 19 | Belarus | 49.2% | 2025 | down 1.1% | flat |
| 20 | Lithuania | 49.0% | 2025 | down 2.9% | flat |
| 21 | Tanzania | 49.0% | 2025 | down 0.0% | flat |
| 22 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 48.9% | 2025 | up 1.6% | falling |
| 23 | Vietnam | 48.8% | 2025 | down 0.6% | flat |
| 24 | Eswatini | 48.8% | 2025 | up 2.4% | rising |
| 25 | Russia | 48.8% | 2025 | up 0.8% | flat |
| 26 | Sierra Leone | 48.8% | 2025 | down 1.9% | falling |
| 27 | Cambodia | 48.7% | 2025 | up 1.1% | falling |
| 28 | Madagascar | 48.6% | 2025 | up 0.3% | flat |
| 29 | Congo | 48.6% | 2025 | down 0.9% | flat |
| 30 | Gambia | 48.5% | 2025 | up 2.6% | flat |
| 31 | Nigeria | 48.4% | 2025 | up 3.7% | flat |
| 32 | France | 48.4% | 2025 | up 1.2% | rising |
| 33 | Malawi | 48.4% | 2025 | down 0.4% | falling |
| 34 | Central African Republic | 48.3% | 2025 | up 3.6% | rising |
| 35 | Kazakhstan | 48.3% | 2025 | down 2.6% | flat |
| 36 | Namibia | 48.3% | 2025 | down 0.5% | rising |
| 37 | Israel | 48.3% | 2025 | up 3.0% | rising |
| 38 | Georgia | 48.2% | 2025 | down 0.5% | falling |
| 39 | Uganda | 48.2% | 2025 | down 3.5% | flat |
| 40 | North Korea | 48.2% | 2025 | down 0.9% | flat |
| 41 | Finland | 48.1% | 2025 | down 0.2% | flat |
| 42 | Solomon Islands | 48.0% | 2025 | down 0.1% | flat |
| 43 | United Kingdom | 47.8% | 2025 | up 2.0% | rising |
| 44 | Guinea-Bissau | 47.7% | 2025 | up 3.7% | flat |
| 45 | Australia | 47.7% | 2025 | up 3.4% | rising |
| 46 | Eritrea | 47.7% | 2025 | down 0.3% | flat |
| 47 | Papua New Guinea | 47.7% | 2025 | up 0.5% | flat |
| 48 | Ghana | 47.6% | 2025 | up 0.6% | flat |
| 49 | New Zealand | 47.6% | 2025 | up 1.0% | rising |
| 50 | Liberia | 47.5% | 2025 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 51 | Croatia | 47.5% | 2025 | up 2.1% | rising |
| 52 | Sweden | 47.5% | 2025 | down 0.3% | flat |
| 53 | Ukraine | 47.4% | 2021 | down 4.7% | flat |
| 54 | Kenya | 47.4% | 2025 | down 2.3% | flat |
| 55 | Denmark | 47.4% | 2025 | up 1.1% | flat |
| 56 | Serbia | 47.3% | 2025 | up 5.9% | rising |
| 57 | Canada | 47.2% | 2025 | up 0.7% | rising |
| 58 | Armenia | 47.2% | 2025 | down 3.1% | flat |
| 59 | Netherlands | 47.2% | 2025 | up 1.5% | rising |
| 60 | Switzerland | 47.2% | 2025 | up 1.4% | rising |
| 61 | Spain | 47.2% | 2025 | up 2.7% | rising |
| 62 | Turkmenistan | 47.1% | 2025 | up 0.0% | flat |
| 63 | Slovakia | 47.1% | 2025 | up 4.6% | flat |
| 64 | Norway | 47.1% | 2025 | down 0.5% | rising |
| 65 | Hungary | 47.1% | 2025 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 66 | Tonga | 46.9% | 2025 | up 15.9% | rising |
| 67 | Ireland | 46.9% | 2025 | up 3.7% | rising |
| 68 | Rwanda | 46.8% | 2025 | down 0.9% | rising |
| 69 | Austria | 46.8% | 2025 | up 0.1% | rising |
| 70 | Bulgaria | 46.8% | 2025 | up 0.4% | flat |
| 71 | Belgium | 46.8% | 2025 | up 1.5% | rising |
| 72 | Botswana | 46.7% | 2025 | up 1.7% | rising |
| 73 | Laos | 46.7% | 2025 | down 0.3% | flat |
| 74 | Albania | 46.6% | 2025 | up 7.4% | rising |
| 75 | South Africa | 46.6% | 2025 | up 1.8% | rising |
| 76 | Montenegro | 46.6% | 2025 | up 0.7% | flat |
| 77 | Bolivia | 46.6% | 2025 | up 10.6% | rising |
| 78 | Luxembourg | 46.5% | 2025 | up 2.5% | rising |
| 79 | Burkina Faso | 46.5% | 2025 | down 2.8% | falling |
| 80 | Haiti | 46.5% | 2025 | down 2.1% | rising |
| 81 | Germany | 46.5% | 2025 | up 0.6% | rising |
| 82 | Zambia | 46.3% | 2025 | up 3.1% | flat |
| 83 | Saint Lucia | 46.3% | 2025 | up 0.0% | rising |
| 84 | New Caledonia | 46.2% | 2025 | down 0.5% | flat |
| 85 | Jamaica | 46.1% | 2025 | up 1.6% | flat |
| 86 | Poland | 46.1% | 2025 | up 2.1% | flat |
| 87 | Puerto Rico | 46.1% | 2025 | up 3.6% | rising |
| 88 | Vanuatu | 46.0% | 2025 | up 2.2% | flat |
| 89 | Uruguay | 45.9% | 2025 | up 1.3% | rising |
| 90 | East Timor | 45.9% | 2025 | up 0.9% | flat |
| 91 | Thailand | 45.8% | 2025 | up 1.3% | flat |
| 92 | United States | 45.6% | 2025 | up 1.2% | flat |
| 93 | Iceland | 45.6% | 2025 | down 3.8% | flat |
| 94 | Cyprus | 45.6% | 2025 | down 0.5% | rising |
| 95 | Japan | 45.4% | 2025 | up 6.2% | rising |
| 96 | China | 45.4% | 2025 | up 1.6% | flat |
| 97 | Slovenia | 45.3% | 2025 | down 1.6% | flat |
| 98 | Peru | 45.2% | 2025 | up 0.6% | rising |
| 99 | Czechia | 45.2% | 2025 | up 2.4% | flat |
| 100 | Guam | 45.2% | 2025 | up 1.9% | rising |
| 101 | Niger | 45.0% | 2025 | up 8.3% | flat |
| 102 | Guyana | 44.9% | 2025 | up 14.7% | rising |
| 103 | Greece | 44.7% | 2025 | down 0.4% | rising |
| 104 | South Korea | 44.4% | 2025 | up 5.8% | rising |
| 105 | French Polynesia | 44.3% | 2025 | up 1.3% | rising |
| 106 | Singapore | 44.1% | 2025 | up 5.0% | rising |
| 107 | Cameroon | 43.9% | 2025 | down 5.7% | falling |
| 108 | Mongolia | 43.9% | 2025 | down 3.9% | flat |
| 109 | Lesotho | 43.8% | 2025 | down 3.6% | falling |
| 110 | Cape Verde | 43.6% | 2025 | up 0.1% | rising |
| 111 | Brazil | 43.4% | 2025 | up 2.3% | rising |
| 112 | Cote d'Ivoire | 43.4% | 2025 | up 0.7% | rising |
| 113 | Ethiopia | 43.1% | 2025 | down 5.0% | falling |
| 114 | Argentina | 43.0% | 2025 | up 5.1% | rising |
| 115 | Chile | 42.9% | 2025 | up 4.9% | rising |
| 116 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 42.8% | 2025 | up 8.1% | rising |
| 117 | Comoros | 42.7% | 2025 | up 12.0% | flat |
| 118 | North Macedonia | 42.7% | 2025 | up 5.8% | flat |
| 119 | Italy | 42.6% | 2025 | up 1.2% | rising |
| 120 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 42.4% | 2025 | up 2.5% | flat |
| 121 | El Salvador | 42.4% | 2025 | up 2.4% | rising |
| 122 | Romania | 42.4% | 2025 | down 1.9% | flat |
| 123 | Paraguay | 42.2% | 2025 | up 4.6% | rising |
| 124 | Trinidad and Tobago | 42.1% | 2025 | up 0.2% | rising |
| 125 | Suriname | 42.0% | 2025 | up 5.7% | rising |
| 126 | Dominican Republic | 42.0% | 2025 | up 6.8% | rising |
| 127 | Malta | 41.9% | 2025 | up 8.4% | rising |
| 128 | Panama | 41.8% | 2025 | up 5.8% | rising |
| 129 | Philippines | 41.6% | 2025 | up 3.8% | flat |
| 130 | Colombia | 41.6% | 2025 | down 1.2% | flat |
| 131 | Guinea | 41.6% | 2025 | down 5.9% | falling |
| 132 | Ecuador | 41.0% | 2025 | up 2.8% | rising |
| 133 | Costa Rica | 40.7% | 2025 | up 0.2% | rising |
| 134 | Mauritius | 40.6% | 2025 | up 5.9% | rising |
| 135 | Bhutan | 40.4% | 2025 | up 2.0% | rising |
| 136 | Mexico | 40.3% | 2025 | up 6.7% | rising |
| 137 | Chad | 40.0% | 2025 | down 3.3% | falling |
| 138 | Equatorial Guinea | 40.0% | 2025 | down 0.7% | falling |
| 139 | Gabon | 40.0% | 2025 | up 0.3% | flat |
| 140 | Nicaragua | 39.9% | 2025 | up 4.1% | rising |
| 141 | Indonesia | 39.6% | 2025 | up 3.6% | flat |
| 142 | Kyrgyzstan | 39.6% | 2025 | down 2.5% | falling |
| 143 | Brunei | 39.5% | 2025 | down 3.2% | rising |
| 144 | Belize | 39.2% | 2025 | up 3.8% | rising |
| 145 | Mali | 39.1% | 2025 | down 9.1% | falling |
| 146 | Cuba | 39.1% | 2025 | down 3.4% | rising |
| 147 | Myanmar | 37.7% | 2025 | down 5.0% | falling |
| 148 | Nepal | 37.6% | 2025 | up 5.3% | rising |
| 149 | Malaysia | 37.1% | 2025 | up 0.0% | rising |
| 150 | Venezuela | 36.6% | 2025 | down 8.1% | flat |
| 151 | Senegal | 36.6% | 2025 | down 3.8% | rising |
| 152 | Samoa | 36.4% | 2025 | down 2.8% | flat |
| 153 | Uzbekistan | 35.9% | 2025 | up 2.3% | flat |
| 154 | Honduras | 35.0% | 2025 | down 3.6% | rising |
| 155 | Turkey | 34.4% | 2025 | up 11.9% | rising |
| 156 | Fiji | 34.2% | 2025 | down 0.9% | rising |
| 157 | Bangladesh | 34.0% | 2025 | up 11.3% | rising |
| 158 | Libya | 33.9% | 2025 | up 0.3% | rising |
| 159 | Sri Lanka | 33.4% | 2025 | down 2.7% | flat |
| 160 | Mauritania | 33.4% | 2025 | up 0.6% | rising |
| 161 | Guatemala | 32.7% | 2025 | up 1.3% | falling |
| 162 | Djibouti | 31.0% | 2025 | up 11.9% | rising |
| 163 | Somalia | 30.9% | 2025 | down 0.3% | flat |
| 164 | Tunisia | 30.0% | 2025 | up 7.4% | rising |
| 165 | Tajikistan | 29.6% | 2025 | down 5.0% | falling |
| 166 | India | 28.3% | 2025 | up 16.2% | flat |
| 167 | Lebanon | 26.8% | 2023 | down 1.1% | rising |
| 168 | Kuwait | 23.6% | 2025 | down 13.0% | flat |
| 169 | Maldives | 23.2% | 2025 | down 13.9% | falling |
| 170 | Pakistan | 22.8% | 2025 | up 0.9% | rising |
| 171 | United Arab Emirates | 22.7% | 2025 | up 14.3% | rising |
| 172 | Morocco | 22.4% | 2025 | down 12.7% | flat |
| 173 | Palestine | 21.5% | 2022 | up 9.2% | rising |
| 174 | Bahrain | 21.3% | 2025 | down 1.1% | rising |
| 175 | Egypt | 20.6% | 2025 | down 14.7% | falling |
| 176 | Sudan | 19.7% | 2022 | down 31.8% | falling |
| 177 | Jordan | 19.3% | 2025 | up 12.9% | rising |
| 178 | Saudi Arabia | 18.9% | 2025 | up 55.1% | rising |
| 179 | Qatar | 18.0% | 2025 | up 34.9% | flat |
| 180 | Syria | 17.4% | 2025 | up 2.1% | falling |
| 181 | Algeria | 17.0% | 2025 | down 3.1% | rising |
| 182 | Iran | 16.9% | 2025 | up 0.3% | rising |
| 183 | Oman | 14.9% | 2025 | up 11.4% | falling |
| 184 | Iraq | 13.3% | 2025 | down 20.8% | rising |
| 185 | Yemen | 7.0% | 2025 | down 13.0% | falling |
| 186 | Afghanistan | 6.8% | 2025 | down 66.6% | falling |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- Africa Eastern and Southern 47.2%
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 46.9%
- Sub-Saharan Africa 46.9%
- Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) 46.9%
- Euro area 46.6%
- Africa Western and Central 46.4%
- European Union 46.4%
- Post-demographic dividend 46.1%
- Central Europe and the Baltics 45.8%
- North America 45.8%
- Europe & Central Asia 45.5%
- Pre-demographic dividend 45.5%
About this data
Female labor force as a percentage of the total show the extent to which women are active in the labor force. Labor force comprises people ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.