Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+) (modeled ILO estimate)

Definition

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.

Methodology for Labor & Business indicators

Labor market indicators rely on household labor force surveys, which are conducted infrequently in many countries — annual data for some economies is partly modeled. Unemployment rates are particularly sensitive to definitions (ILO-standard versus national-standard, including or excluding discouraged workers). Informal-sector employment is undercounted in many low-income economies.

How to interpret

• Always check the unit and reporting year before comparing values across countries.
• NULL or "Not available" means the World Bank did not publish a value — we never estimate.
• Year-over-year changes can be driven by methodology updates, not just real economic shifts.