Labor force, female in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Labor force, female was 6.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force, female in Afghanistan, 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database. Measured in % of total labor force.
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 6.8% for labor force, female in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.6% on the previous year and down 66.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, female in Afghanistan peaked at 22.5% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 6.8%, in 2025.
That places Afghanistan 186th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force, female in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 17.0% | — |
| 1991 | 17.0% | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 17.0% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 16.9% | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 16.7% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 16.6% | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 16.4% | -1.1% |
| 1997 | 16.2% | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 16.0% | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 15.8% | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 15.6% | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 15.5% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 15.4% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 15.4% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 15.5% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 15.5% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 15.7% | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 15.9% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 16.1% | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 16.4% | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 16.7% | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 17.0% | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 17.3% | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 18.3% | +5.5% |
| 2014 | 19.3% | +5.4% |
| 2015 | 20.3% | +5.3% |
| 2016 | 21.4% | +5.2% |
| 2017 | 22.5% | +5.2% |
| 2018 | 21.8% | -3.2% |
| 2019 | 20.9% | -3.9% |
| 2020 | 19.8% | -5.1% |
| 2021 | 18.0% | -9.3% |
| 2022 | 6.9% | -61.9% |
| 2023 | 6.8% | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 6.8% | -0.4% |
| 2025 | 6.8% | -0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16.5% | 15.8% | 17.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.7% | 15.4% | 16.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.5% | 16.7% | 22.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.9% | 6.8% | 19.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More education data for Afghanistan
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 3.43 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 5.67 % change on previous year (2018)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 163,167 (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 1.2 % change on previous year (2019)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.27 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 5.94 % change on previous year (2018)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.16 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 5.53 % change on previous year (2018)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 24,220 (2003)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 5.89 % change on previous year (1986)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, female in Afghanistan?
- Labor force, female in Afghanistan was 6.8% in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, female recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 22.5% in 2017.
- What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.8% in 2025.
- How does Afghanistan rank for labor force, female?
- Afghanistan ranks 186th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, female rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 66.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database, published as part of Labor force, female (% of total labor force). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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.