Female Labour Force Participation
Just under half of working-age women are in the labour force worldwide, against nearly three-quarters of men. This roughly 24-percentage-point gender gap has barely moved in a generation. Participation ranges from above 80% in parts of Africa to below 20% across the Arab world.
Key Female Labour Participation Insights
A 24-point gap that won't close
Women's global participation (48.9%) trails men's (73.1%) by about 24 percentage points in 2025, a gap that has been remarkably stable since 1990.
Geography drives huge differences
Female participation tops 65% in Sub-Saharan Africa but sits near 19-20% in the Arab world and MENA, and just 33% in South Asia.
The motherhood penalty is real
Among prime-age adults with young children the gender gap widens to 38 points for couples, versus 23 points for those without children.
Unpaid care is the main barrier
In 2023, 708 million women were outside the labour force because of care responsibilities, compared with just 40 million men.
Women vs Men: Participation Over Time
Global labour force participation rate for women and men, 1990 to 2025 (% of population ages 15+).
Key Finding: The gender gap has hovered around 24-25 points for over three decades, as both rates drifted only modestly.
Female Participation by Region
Female labour force participation rate by world region in 2025 (% of female population ages 15+).
Key Finding: Sub-Saharan Africa leads at 65%, while the Arab World and MENA sit near 19-20% and South Asia at 33%.
Women In and Out of the Labour Force
Share of the world's working-age women who are in versus outside the labour force, 2025.
Key Finding: Barely half of working-age women participate in the labour force, against nearly three-quarters of men.
Highest and Lowest Countries
The five highest and five lowest countries for female labour force participation, 2025 (% of female population ages 15+).
Key Finding: Rates span from about 83% in Madagascar to under 5% in Yemen and Afghanistan.
The Motherhood Penalty
Prime-age (25-54) gender gap in participation by household type with young children, world, 2023.
Key Finding: Young children widen the gender gap to 38 points for couples, versus 23 points when no young children are present.
Understanding Female Participation Data
What female labour force participation measures
The female labour force participation rate (FLFPR) is the share of working-age women (typically ages 15 and over) who are either employed or actively looking for work. It captures supply of labour, not just jobs held, so it counts both employed and unemployed women. Figures here use World Bank / ILO modelled estimates, which harmonise national surveys for cross-country comparison.
The gender gap explained
The gender gap is the difference between male and female participation rates. Globally it stands at roughly 24 percentage points in 2025 (73.1% for men versus 48.9% for women) and has barely narrowed since 1990. The ratio of female to male participation is therefore about two-thirds worldwide, but far lower in the regions with the widest gaps.
Why MENA and South Asia are so low
Participation falls below 20% across the Arab world and North Africa and to about 33% in South Asia. The ILO links this to entrenched gender norms that cast women as caregivers and men as breadwinners, limited childcare and maternity protection, and safety and mobility constraints. In Northern Africa, 63% of inactive women cite care responsibilities as the reason for not working.
Unpaid work and measurement caveats
Official rates can understate women's economic contribution. Vast amounts of unpaid care and domestic work fall outside the production boundary and are not counted as labour. Subsistence and informal work are often undercounted, and a worker must be available and actively searching to count as unemployed, criteria women juggling care meet less easily. Cross-country survey differences also affect comparability.