Labor force, female (% of total labor force) in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Labor force, female (% of total labor force) was 34.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, female in Bangladesh, 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 Bangladesh is 34.0%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 11.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, female in Bangladesh peaked at 36.5% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 20.7%, in 1990.
That places Bangladesh 158th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force, female (% of total labor force) in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 20.7% | — |
| 1991 | 21.0% | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 21.3% | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 21.7% | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 22.0% | +1.8% |
| 1995 | 22.5% | +1.9% |
| 1996 | 22.9% | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 23.3% | +1.7% |
| 1998 | 23.6% | +1.5% |
| 1999 | 23.9% | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 24.2% | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 24.4% | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 24.6% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 24.7% | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 24.9% | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 25.0% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 25.2% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 26.6% | +5.5% |
| 2008 | 28.0% | +5.4% |
| 2009 | 29.5% | +5.2% |
| 2010 | 31.0% | +5.1% |
| 2011 | 30.7% | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 30.4% | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 30.1% | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 30.3% | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 30.6% | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 30.8% | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 32.4% | +5.4% |
| 2018 | 33.3% | +2.7% |
| 2019 | 34.1% | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 34.9% | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 35.7% | +2.5% |
| 2022 | 36.5% | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 35.6% | -2.5% |
| 2024 | 34.0% | -4.5% |
| 2025 | 34.0% | -0.0% |
Bangladesh compared with similar countries
- Bangladesh's 34.0% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 43.6%, 78% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Bangladesh's 34.0% is above the median for South Asia, which is 33.7%, 1.0× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 22.3% | 20.7% | 23.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.7% | 24.2% | 29.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.4% | 30.1% | 34.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 35.1% | 34.0% | 36.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
More education data for Bangladesh
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 571,690 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 387,056 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.73 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.77 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 15.07 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 16.69 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.67 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0961 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, female in Bangladesh?
- Labor force, female in Bangladesh was 34.0% in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, female recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 36.5% in 2022.
- What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.7% in 1990.
- How does Bangladesh rank for labor force, female?
- Bangladesh ranks 158th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, female rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bangladesh 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.