Labor force, female in Arab World
Arab World: Labor force, female was 19.6% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Labor force, female in Arab World, 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database. Measured in % of total labor force.
Analysis
The most recent figure for labor force, female in Arab World is 19.6%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 6.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, female in Arab World peaked at 21.1% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 19.1%, in 2022.
Arab World ranks 45th of 45 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Labor force, female in Arab World, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 19.9% | — |
| 1991 | 20.0% | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 20.3% | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 20.1% | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 20.4% | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 20.3% | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 20.4% | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 20.3% | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 20.3% | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 20.5% | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 20.7% | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 20.8% | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 20.4% | -2.2% |
| 2003 | 20.5% | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 20.6% | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 20.6% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 20.7% | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 21.1% | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 20.7% | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 21.0% | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 20.9% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 20.9% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 20.8% | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 20.8% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 20.9% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 21.0% | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 21.0% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 20.6% | -2.1% |
| 2018 | 19.8% | -3.5% |
| 2019 | 19.4% | -2.2% |
| 2020 | 19.2% | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 19.5% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 19.1% | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 19.7% | +3.0% |
| 2024 | 19.6% | -0.6% |
| 2025 | 19.6% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 20.3% | 19.9% | 20.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 20.7% | 20.4% | 21.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.6% | 19.4% | 21.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.4% | 19.1% | 19.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Arab World
- 42 Solomon Islands 48.0% compare
- 43 United Kingdom 47.8% compare
- 44 Guinea-Bissau 47.7% compare
- 45 Australia 47.7% compare
- 46 Eritrea 47.7% compare
- 47 Papua New Guinea 47.7% compare
- 48 Ghana 47.6% compare
More education data for Arab World
- Population ages 15-64 63.3% (2025)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 2.58 million (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 32.0% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 91.6% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, per capita 0.0052 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 2.58 million (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 89.7% (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, male 93.4% (2024)
- Labor force, total, per capita 0.2783 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, female in Arab World?
- Labor force, female in Arab World was 19.6% in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, female recorded in Arab World?
- The highest recorded value was 21.1% in 2007.
- What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in Arab World?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.1% in 2022.
- How does Arab World rank for labor force, female?
- Arab World ranks 45th out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, female rising or falling in Arab World?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Arab World 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.