Labor force, female (% of total labor force) in Pakistan
Pakistan: Labor force, female (% of total labor force) was 22.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, female in Pakistan, 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 Pakistan is 22.8%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, female in Pakistan peaked at 22.8% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 10.8%, in 1990.
That places Pakistan 171st 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 Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 10.8% | — |
| 1991 | 13.2% | +22.3% |
| 1992 | 13.3% | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 13.8% | +4.0% |
| 1994 | 14.1% | +2.4% |
| 1995 | 12.5% | -11.7% |
| 1996 | 13.4% | +7.4% |
| 1997 | 14.4% | +7.2% |
| 1998 | 14.7% | +2.5% |
| 1999 | 15.1% | +2.5% |
| 2000 | 15.5% | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 15.5% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 15.6% | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 16.3% | +4.6% |
| 2004 | 17.0% | +4.4% |
| 2005 | 17.7% | +4.0% |
| 2006 | 18.4% | +4.1% |
| 2007 | 18.8% | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 19.3% | +2.8% |
| 2009 | 20.3% | +4.8% |
| 2010 | 21.1% | +4.2% |
| 2011 | 21.4% | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 21.5% | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 21.7% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 22.1% | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 22.6% | +2.3% |
| 2016 | 22.0% | -2.8% |
| 2017 | 21.3% | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 20.7% | -2.8% |
| 2019 | 22.1% | +6.5% |
| 2020 | 22.3% | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 22.7% | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 22.6% | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 22.6% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 22.7% | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 22.8% | +0.3% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 22.8% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 43.6%, 52% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 22.8% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 21.3%, 1.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13.5% | 10.8% | 15.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 17.4% | 15.5% | 20.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.7% | 20.7% | 22.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.6% | 22.3% | 22.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More education data for Pakistan
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.04 million (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 440,233 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 5.05 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 4.90 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 19.70 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 25.38 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.1 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.101 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, female in Pakistan?
- Labor force, female in Pakistan was 22.8% in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, female recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 22.8% in 2025.
- What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.8% in 1990.
- How does Pakistan rank for labor force, female?
- Pakistan ranks 171st out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, female rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this 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.