Labor force, female in Iran
Iran: Labor force, female was 16.9% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, female in Iran, 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 Iran is 16.9%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 0.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, female in Iran peaked at 19.9% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 9.8%, in 1990.
Iran ranks 182nd of 186 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force, female in Iran, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 9.8% | — |
| 1991 | 10.1% | +3.0% |
| 1992 | 10.4% | +2.5% |
| 1993 | 10.7% | +2.6% |
| 1994 | 11.0% | +2.9% |
| 1995 | 11.4% | +3.4% |
| 1996 | 11.8% | +3.6% |
| 1997 | 12.6% | +6.9% |
| 1998 | 13.4% | +6.8% |
| 1999 | 14.3% | +6.6% |
| 2000 | 15.3% | +6.4% |
| 2001 | 16.2% | +6.2% |
| 2002 | 17.2% | +5.9% |
| 2003 | 18.1% | +5.4% |
| 2004 | 19.0% | +4.9% |
| 2005 | 19.9% | +4.7% |
| 2006 | 19.5% | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 18.7% | -4.0% |
| 2008 | 17.1% | -8.6% |
| 2009 | 17.9% | +4.6% |
| 2010 | 17.6% | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 16.4% | -6.4% |
| 2012 | 17.5% | +6.6% |
| 2013 | 15.9% | -9.0% |
| 2014 | 15.6% | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 16.8% | +7.8% |
| 2016 | 18.4% | +9.5% |
| 2017 | 19.3% | +4.8% |
| 2018 | 19.2% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 18.8% | -2.2% |
| 2020 | 16.3% | -13.1% |
| 2021 | 15.7% | -3.9% |
| 2022 | 16.4% | +4.2% |
| 2023 | 16.8% | +2.5% |
| 2024 | 16.9% | +0.8% |
| 2025 | 16.9% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.6% | 9.8% | 14.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 17.9% | 15.3% | 19.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.6% | 15.6% | 19.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.5% | 15.7% | 16.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iran
More education data for Iran
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 8.84 % change on previous year (2022)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 285,113 (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 87,283 (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.64 million (2022)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 8.42 % change on previous year (2022)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 1.70 million (2022)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 9.25 % change on previous year (2022)
- 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 Iran?
- Labor force, female in Iran was 16.9% in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, female recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 19.9% in 2005.
- What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.8% in 1990.
- How does Iran rank for labor force, female?
- Iran ranks 182nd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, female rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iran 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.