Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income): Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) was 8.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income), 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) stood at 8.1%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.6% on the previous year and down 10.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) peaked at 12.1% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 4.0%, in 1991.
That places Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) 9th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 4.0% | — |
| 1992 | 4.8% | +19.4% |
| 1993 | 5.7% | +18.9% |
| 1994 | 7.1% | +24.5% |
| 1995 | 8.8% | +22.9% |
| 1996 | 10.5% | +19.6% |
| 1997 | 11.0% | +4.8% |
| 1998 | 11.8% | +7.9% |
| 1999 | 12.1% | +2.3% |
| 2000 | 11.6% | -4.4% |
| 2001 | 11.0% | -4.9% |
| 2002 | 10.8% | -2.3% |
| 2003 | 10.3% | -4.3% |
| 2004 | 10.3% | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 9.7% | -5.1% |
| 2006 | 9.2% | -5.1% |
| 2007 | 8.6% | -7.5% |
| 2008 | 8.5% | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 9.5% | +11.8% |
| 2010 | 9.3% | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 8.7% | -5.9% |
| 2012 | 8.6% | -1.8% |
| 2013 | 8.6% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 8.8% | +2.5% |
| 2015 | 9.0% | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 9.0% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 9.0% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 8.9% | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 9.5% | +7.3% |
| 2020 | 9.5% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 9.7% | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 8.8% | -9.2% |
| 2023 | 8.5% | -3.9% |
| 2024 | 8.2% | -3.5% |
| 2025 | 8.1% | -0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.4% | 4.0% | 12.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 9.9% | 8.5% | 11.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.9% | 8.6% | 9.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.8% | 8.1% | 9.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
More education data for Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 15.66 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.1746 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0626 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 28.09 million (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 906,553 (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 22.7% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 65.7% (2025)
All data for Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) was 8.1% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, female (% of female labor force) recorded in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 12.1% in 1999.
- What is the lowest unemployment, female (% of female labor force) recorded in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.0% in 1991.
- How does Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) rank for unemployment, female (% of female labor force)?
- Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) ranks 9th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, female (% of female labor force) rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.