Labor force, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income): Labor force, female was 19.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) stood at 19.6%.
The figure is down 7.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) peaked at 21.3% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 15.1%, in 1990.
That places Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) 45th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 15.1% | — |
| 1991 | 16.0% | +5.8% |
| 1992 | 16.2% | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 16.3% | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 16.7% | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 16.1% | -3.6% |
| 1996 | 16.4% | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 16.7% | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 16.9% | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 17.4% | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 17.7% | +2.2% |
| 2001 | 18.0% | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 17.8% | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 18.3% | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 18.8% | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 19.2% | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 19.5% | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 19.8% | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 19.6% | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 20.1% | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 20.3% | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 20.2% | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 20.4% | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 20.4% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 20.7% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 21.2% | +2.5% |
| 2016 | 21.3% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 21.0% | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 20.2% | -3.9% |
| 2019 | 20.2% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 19.6% | -3.0% |
| 2021 | 19.7% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 19.1% | -3.0% |
| 2023 | 19.6% | +2.5% |
| 2024 | 19.6% | -0.0% |
| 2025 | 19.6% | -0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16.4% | 15.1% | 17.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.9% | 17.7% | 20.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.6% | 20.2% | 21.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.5% | 19.1% | 19.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
- 42 Solomon Islands 48.0% compare
- 43 United Kingdom 47.8% compare
- 44 Guinea-Bissau 47.7% compare
- 45 Australia 47.7% compare
- 46 Eritrea 47.7% compare
- 47 Papua New Guinea 47.7% compare
- 48 Ghana 47.6% compare
More education data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
- Population ages 15-64 62.0% (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 32.7% (2025)
- Number of infant deaths, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Number of under-five deaths, female, annual growth rate -3.3 % change on previous year (2024)
- Number of infant deaths, female, annual growth rate -2.68 % change on previous year (2024)
- Number of infant deaths, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Number of infant deaths, male, per capita 0.0004 units per person (2024)
- Number of under-five deaths, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- Labor force, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) was 19.6% in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, female recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 21.3% in 2016.
- What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.1% in 1990.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) rank for labor force, female?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 45th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, female rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) 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.