Labor force, female (% of total labor force) in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Labor force, female (% of total labor force) was 48.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force, female in Democratic Republic of Congo, 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database. Measured in % of total labor force.
Analysis
In 2025, labor force, female in Democratic Republic of Congo stood at 48.9%.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, female in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 50.9% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 48.1%, in 2012.
That places Democratic Republic of Congo 22nd out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force, female (% of total labor force) in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 50.9% | — |
| 1991 | 50.8% | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 50.7% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 50.7% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 50.8% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 50.8% | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 50.6% | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 50.3% | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 50.2% | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 50.3% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 50.2% | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 50.2% | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 50.2% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 50.1% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 50.1% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 50.1% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 49.8% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 49.6% | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 49.3% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 49.0% | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 48.7% | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 48.4% | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 48.1% | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 48.1% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 48.1% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 48.1% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 48.2% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 48.2% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 48.2% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 48.2% | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 48.2% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 48.3% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 48.5% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 48.7% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 48.8% | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 48.9% | +0.1% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 48.9% is above the median for low income countries, which is 47.7%, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 48.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 47.5%, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 50.6% | 50.2% | 50.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 49.9% | 49.0% | 50.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.2% | 48.1% | 48.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 48.6% | 48.2% | 48.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
More education data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 621,578 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 1.99 million (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 410,532 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 427,300 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 7.93 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 21.15 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 7.35 % change on previous year (2021)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1999 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, female in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Labor force, female in Democratic Republic of Congo was 48.9% in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, female recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 50.9% in 1990.
- What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.1% in 2012.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for labor force, female?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 22nd out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, female rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo 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.