Labor force, female (% of total labor force) in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: Labor force, female (% of total labor force) was 22.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, female in United Arab Emirates, 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database. Measured in % of total labor force.
Analysis
United Arab Emirates recorded 22.7% for labor force, female in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 14.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, female in United Arab Emirates peaked at 24.3% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 10.1%, in 1990.
That places United Arab Emirates 172nd 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 United Arab Emirates, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 10.1% | — |
| 1991 | 10.3% | +2.3% |
| 1992 | 10.4% | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 10.6% | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 10.6% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 10.7% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 11.0% | +3.0% |
| 1997 | 11.4% | +3.6% |
| 1998 | 11.7% | +3.2% |
| 1999 | 12.1% | +2.8% |
| 2000 | 12.4% | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 12.6% | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 12.8% | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 13.0% | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 13.1% | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 13.2% | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 13.6% | +3.0% |
| 2007 | 14.3% | +4.8% |
| 2008 | 15.1% | +5.7% |
| 2009 | 16.0% | +5.9% |
| 2010 | 16.8% | +5.3% |
| 2011 | 17.7% | +4.9% |
| 2012 | 18.4% | +4.3% |
| 2013 | 19.0% | +3.0% |
| 2014 | 19.4% | +2.3% |
| 2015 | 19.9% | +2.3% |
| 2016 | 20.3% | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 21.0% | +3.5% |
| 2018 | 21.1% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 22.4% | +5.9% |
| 2020 | 24.3% | +8.5% |
| 2021 | 21.7% | -10.8% |
| 2022 | 22.8% | +5.4% |
| 2023 | 22.3% | -2.3% |
| 2024 | 22.4% | +0.6% |
| 2025 | 22.7% | +1.2% |
United Arab Emirates compared with similar countries
- United Arab Emirates's 22.7% is below the median for high income countries, which is 46.5%, 49% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- United Arab Emirates's 22.7% 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 | 10.9% | 10.1% | 12.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.6% | 12.4% | 16.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.6% | 16.8% | 22.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.7% | 21.7% | 24.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates
More education data for United Arab Emirates
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 106,178 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 305 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 119,159 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 125,307 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 894,302 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 586,477 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 5.74 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0534 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, female in United Arab Emirates?
- Labor force, female in United Arab Emirates was 22.7% in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, female recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The highest recorded value was 24.3% in 2020.
- What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.1% in 1990.
- How does United Arab Emirates rank for labor force, female?
- United Arab Emirates ranks 172nd out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, female rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Arab Emirates 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.