Labor force, female (% of total labor force) in Nepal
Nepal: Labor force, female (% of total labor force) was 37.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, female in Nepal, 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 Nepal is 37.6%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 5.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, female in Nepal peaked at 37.6% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 24.6%, in 1990.
That places Nepal 149th out of 187 countries 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 (% of total labor force) in Nepal, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 24.6% | — |
| 1991 | 24.6% | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 24.7% | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 24.8% | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 24.8% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 24.8% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 24.9% | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 25.0% | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 25.2% | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 25.5% | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 25.8% | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 26.1% | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 26.5% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 26.9% | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 27.3% | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 27.8% | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 28.4% | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 29.0% | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 29.7% | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 30.5% | +2.7% |
| 2010 | 31.4% | +2.8% |
| 2011 | 32.3% | +2.9% |
| 2012 | 33.2% | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 34.1% | +2.6% |
| 2014 | 34.9% | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 35.7% | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 36.4% | +1.9% |
| 2017 | 36.9% | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 37.4% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 37.1% | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 36.8% | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 36.6% | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 36.7% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 37.0% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 37.3% | +0.9% |
| 2025 | 37.6% | +0.8% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 37.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 43.6%, 86% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 37.6% is above the median for South Asia, which is 33.7%, 1.1× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 24.9% | 24.6% | 25.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 27.8% | 25.8% | 30.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.0% | 31.4% | 37.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 37.0% | 36.6% | 37.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
More education data for Nepal
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 124,257 (2025)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 263,796 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 752,326 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 609,324 (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.67 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.57 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.31 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1204 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, female in Nepal?
- Labor force, female in Nepal was 37.6% in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, female recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 37.6% in 2025.
- What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.6% in 1990.
- How does Nepal rank for labor force, female?
- Nepal ranks 149th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, female rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nepal 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.