Labor force, female in Japan
Japan: Labor force, female was 45.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, female in Japan, 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 Japan stood at 45.4%. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 6.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, female in Japan peaked at 45.4% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 40.2%, in 1995.
Japan ranks 95th 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 Japan, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 40.3% | — |
| 1991 | 40.5% | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 40.4% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 40.2% | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 40.2% | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 40.2% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 40.2% | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 40.4% | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 40.4% | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 40.3% | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 40.3% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 40.5% | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 40.5% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 40.6% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 40.9% | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 41.0% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 41.1% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 41.2% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 41.3% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 41.6% | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 41.7% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 41.8% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 41.9% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 42.4% | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 42.6% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 42.8% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 43.1% | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 43.5% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 43.9% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 44.2% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 44.1% | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 44.4% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 44.7% | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 44.9% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 45.3% | +0.8% |
| 2025 | 45.4% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 40.3% | 40.2% | 40.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 40.9% | 40.3% | 41.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 42.8% | 41.7% | 44.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 44.8% | 44.1% | 45.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More education data for Japan
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) -0.2135 % change on previous year (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 261,117 (1998)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 109,949 (1998)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.87 million (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) -0.1939 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 2.01 million (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) -0.2318 % change on previous year (2023)
- 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 Japan?
- Labor force, female in Japan was 45.4% in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, female recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 45.4% in 2025.
- What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 40.2% in 1995.
- How does Japan rank for labor force, female?
- Japan ranks 95th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, female rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Japan 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.