Labor force, female in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Labor force, female was 43.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force, female in Ethiopia, 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database. Measured in % of total labor force.
Analysis
Ethiopia recorded 43.1% for labor force, female in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 5.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, female in Ethiopia peaked at 47.5% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 42.5%, in 2021.
Ethiopia ranks 113th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force, female in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 47.5% | — |
| 1991 | 47.4% | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 47.2% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 47.1% | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 47.0% | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 46.9% | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 46.7% | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 46.6% | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 46.5% | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 46.4% | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 46.3% | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 46.2% | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 46.1% | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 46.1% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 46.0% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 46.0% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 46.0% | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 46.0% | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 46.0% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 46.0% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 46.0% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 46.0% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 46.0% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 46.0% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 45.7% | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 45.3% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 45.0% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 44.6% | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 44.1% | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 43.7% | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 43.1% | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 42.5% | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 42.7% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 42.8% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 43.0% | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 43.1% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 46.9% | 46.4% | 47.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 46.1% | 46.0% | 46.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 45.2% | 43.7% | 46.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 42.9% | 42.5% | 43.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
- 110 Cape Verde 43.6% compare
- 111 Brazil 43.4% compare
- 112 Cote d'Ivoire 43.4% compare
- 114 Argentina 43.0% compare
- 115 Chile 42.9% compare
- 116 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 42.8% compare
More education data for Ethiopia
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 9.64 % change on previous year (2012)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 151,765 (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 186,951 (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 173,906 (2014)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 14.17 % change on previous year (2012)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 413,109 (2014)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 7.68 % change on previous year (2012)
- Theoretical duration of primary education (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of pre-primary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (pre-primary to post-secondary non) 0.0494 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, female in Ethiopia?
- Labor force, female in Ethiopia was 43.1% in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, female recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 47.5% in 1990.
- What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 42.5% in 2021.
- How does Ethiopia rank for labor force, female?
- Ethiopia ranks 113th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, female rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ethiopia 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.