Labor force, female (% of total labor force) in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Labor force, female (% of total labor force) was 18.9% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, female in Saudi Arabia, 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database. Measured in % of total labor force.
Analysis
Saudi Arabia recorded 18.9% for labor force, female in 2025.
That represents a change of up 1.4% on the previous year and up 55.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, female in Saudi Arabia peaked at 19.4% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 11.5%, in 2017.
That places Saudi Arabia 179th 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 Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 12.9% | — |
| 1991 | 12.8% | -0.7% |
| 1992 | 12.8% | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 13.1% | +2.6% |
| 1994 | 13.5% | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 13.8% | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 14.2% | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 14.6% | +2.7% |
| 1998 | 15.0% | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 15.4% | +2.7% |
| 2000 | 14.5% | -5.5% |
| 2001 | 14.0% | -3.8% |
| 2002 | 13.6% | -2.5% |
| 2003 | 13.7% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 13.7% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 13.7% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 13.7% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 13.0% | -5.1% |
| 2008 | 12.5% | -4.4% |
| 2009 | 11.9% | -4.3% |
| 2010 | 12.2% | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 12.5% | +2.3% |
| 2012 | 12.4% | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 11.9% | -3.8% |
| 2014 | 11.8% | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 12.2% | +3.3% |
| 2016 | 12.7% | +3.9% |
| 2017 | 11.5% | -9.4% |
| 2018 | 12.8% | +11.7% |
| 2019 | 14.1% | +10.0% |
| 2020 | 16.8% | +19.1% |
| 2021 | 19.4% | +15.5% |
| 2022 | 19.3% | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 19.0% | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 18.6% | -2.1% |
| 2025 | 18.9% | +1.4% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 18.9% is below the median for high income countries, which is 46.5%, 41% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 18.9% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 21.3%, 89% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13.8% | 12.8% | 15.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.4% | 11.9% | 14.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.4% | 11.5% | 14.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.7% | 16.8% | 19.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More education data for Saudi Arabia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 242,375 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 26,900 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 215,559 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 214,840 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.36 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.45 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.53 % change on previous year (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0976 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, female in Saudi Arabia?
- Labor force, female in Saudi Arabia was 18.9% in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, female recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 19.4% in 2021.
- What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.5% in 2017.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for labor force, female?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 179th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, female rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 55.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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.