Labor & Business
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+) (modeled ILO estimate)
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.
World Bank code: SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS • Data available for 187 countries • Latest year: 2025
In , Madagascar led Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+) (modeled ILO estimate) at 82.91.
The world median across 182 reporting countries was 53.36.
How "Labor & Business" indicators are measured
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.
Distribution — 2025
- Reporting
- 182 countries
- Median
- 53.36
- Mean
- 51.40
- 25th percentile
- 44.67
- 75th percentile
- 60.76
- Range
- 4.66 – 82.91
World at a Glance — 2025
Every reporting country, grouped by region, shaded by value (quintile).
Lighter = lower value · Darker = higher value. Hover a cell to see the country and value.
Highest Values — 2025
| # | Country | Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+) (modeled ILO estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Madagascar Sub-Saharan Africa | 82.91 |
| 2 | Solomon Islands East Asia & Pacific | 82.34 |
| 3 | Nigeria Sub-Saharan Africa | 80.70 |
| 4 | Tanzania Sub-Saharan Africa | 80.28 |
| 5 | Burundi Sub-Saharan Africa | 79.50 |
| 6 | Korea, Dem. People's Rep. East Asia & Pacific | 77.71 |
| 7 | Cambodia East Asia & Pacific | 77.35 |
| 8 | Mozambique Sub-Saharan Africa | 77.09 |
| 9 | Uganda Sub-Saharan Africa | 75.60 |
| 10 | Benin Sub-Saharan Africa | 75.16 |
Looking for a specific country? Only the top and bottom 10 appear here. See where every country ranks for Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+) (modeled ILO estimate).
View complete rankings →Biggest Movers — Year over Year
Largest increases
- Belize +6.0%
- Comoros +1.1%
- Turkiye +1.0%
- United Arab Emirates +1.0%
- Saudi Arabia +0.8%
Largest decreases
- Kazakhstan -4.0%
- Samoa -1.3%
- Mongolia -1.2%
- Russian Federation -1.2%
- Algeria -1.1%
By Income Group — Average
| Income group | Countries | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| High income | 63 | 54.27 |
| Upper middle income | 48 | 48.40 |
| Lower middle income | 46 | 48.75 |
| Low income | 23 | 55.42 |
| Not classified | 2 | 47.78 |
By Region — Average
| Region | Countries | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| East Asia & Pacific | 29 | 56.54 |
| Europe & Central Asia | 48 | 53.07 |
| Latin America & Caribbean | 31 | 52.41 |
| Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 21 | 28.79 |
| North America | 2 | 58.27 |
| South Asia | 6 | 37.83 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 45 | 57.66 |
Lowest Values — 2025
| # | Country | Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+) (modeled ILO estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yemen, Rep. | 4.66 |
| 2 | Afghanistan | 5.09 |
| 3 | Iraq | 10.94 |
| 4 | Syrian Arab Republic | 12.73 |
| 5 | Iran, Islamic Rep. | 14.01 |
| 6 | Algeria | 14.14 |
| 7 | Jordan | 16.03 |
| 8 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 18.46 |
| 9 | Djibouti | 19.37 |
| 10 | Morocco | 19.70 |
Source: World Bank Open Data (SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS), CC BY 4.0. Rankings show countries with available data for 2025.