Labor force, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan: Labor force, female was 20.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, 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 stood at 20.2%.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 4.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan peaked at 21.1% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 15.5%, in 1990.
That places Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 44th 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, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 15.5% | — |
| 1991 | 16.4% | +5.2% |
| 1992 | 16.6% | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 16.7% | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 17.1% | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 16.6% | -3.0% |
| 1996 | 16.8% | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 17.2% | +1.9% |
| 1998 | 17.4% | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 17.8% | +2.5% |
| 2000 | 18.1% | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 18.3% | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 18.2% | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 18.6% | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 19.0% | +2.1% |
| 2005 | 19.4% | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 19.7% | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 19.9% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 19.7% | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 20.2% | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 20.3% | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 20.3% | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 20.4% | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 20.4% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 20.6% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 21.0% | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 21.1% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 20.8% | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 20.2% | -2.9% |
| 2019 | 20.4% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 20.0% | -1.5% |
| 2021 | 20.2% | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 19.8% | -2.3% |
| 2023 | 20.2% | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 20.1% | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 20.2% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16.8% | 15.5% | 17.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.1% | 18.1% | 20.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.5% | 20.2% | 21.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.1% | 19.8% | 20.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
- 41 Finland 48.1% compare
- 42 Solomon Islands 48.0% compare
- 43 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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
More education data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
- Population ages 0-14 31.7% (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 68.09 million (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 63.1% (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 3.29 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 91.90 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.65 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.113 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan →
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- Labor force, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan was 20.2% 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?
- The highest recorded value was 21.1% in 2016.
- What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.5% in 1990.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan rank for labor force, female?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 44th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, female rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 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.