Labor force, female in Ireland
Ireland: Labor force, female was 46.9% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, female in Ireland, 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 Ireland stood at 46.9%. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 3.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, female in Ireland peaked at 46.9% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 35.1%, in 1990.
Ireland ranks 67th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force, female in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 35.1% | — |
| 1991 | 35.4% | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 36.2% | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 37.0% | +2.3% |
| 1994 | 37.6% | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 38.2% | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 38.9% | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 39.4% | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 40.0% | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 40.5% | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 41.0% | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 41.2% | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 41.8% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 42.0% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 41.9% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 42.2% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 42.4% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 43.0% | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 43.5% | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 44.3% | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 44.8% | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 45.1% | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 45.2% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 45.4% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 45.3% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 45.2% | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 45.5% | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 45.7% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 45.9% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 45.9% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 45.9% | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 46.3% | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 46.7% | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 46.2% | -0.9% |
| 2024 | 46.8% | +1.2% |
| 2025 | 46.9% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 37.8% | 35.1% | 40.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 42.3% | 41.0% | 44.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 45.4% | 44.8% | 45.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.5% | 45.9% | 46.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More education data for Ireland
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) -0.9368 % change on previous year (2022)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 35,618 (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 6,544 (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 134,541 (2022)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 0.1981 % change on previous year (2022)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 112,690 (2022)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) -2.26 % 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 Ireland?
- Labor force, female in Ireland was 46.9% in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, female recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 46.9% in 2025.
- What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.1% in 1990.
- How does Ireland rank for labor force, female?
- Ireland ranks 67th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, female rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland 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.