Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Europe & Central Asia
Europe & Central Asia: Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) was 5.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Europe & Central Asia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Europe & Central Asia is 5.7%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 33.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Europe & Central Asia peaked at 11.7% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 5.6%, in 2024.
Europe & Central Asia ranks 19th of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Europe & Central Asia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 7.6% | — |
| 1992 | 8.1% | +6.8% |
| 1993 | 9.3% | +13.7% |
| 1994 | 10.3% | +11.5% |
| 1995 | 10.8% | +4.3% |
| 1996 | 11.1% | +3.0% |
| 1997 | 11.5% | +3.4% |
| 1998 | 11.7% | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 11.5% | -1.8% |
| 2000 | 10.6% | -8.0% |
| 2001 | 9.7% | -8.7% |
| 2002 | 9.5% | -1.7% |
| 2003 | 9.5% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 9.4% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 9.1% | -2.8% |
| 2006 | 8.6% | -6.5% |
| 2007 | 7.5% | -11.9% |
| 2008 | 7.4% | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 8.8% | +18.6% |
| 2010 | 8.9% | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 8.8% | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 9.0% | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 9.2% | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 8.9% | -3.5% |
| 2015 | 8.5% | -3.7% |
| 2016 | 8.1% | -5.3% |
| 2017 | 7.5% | -6.7% |
| 2018 | 7.0% | -7.3% |
| 2019 | 6.7% | -3.8% |
| 2020 | 7.2% | +6.7% |
| 2021 | 7.1% | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 6.2% | -13.7% |
| 2023 | 5.9% | -4.6% |
| 2024 | 5.6% | -3.8% |
| 2025 | 5.7% | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 10.2% | 7.6% | 11.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 9.0% | 7.4% | 10.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.3% | 6.7% | 9.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.3% | 5.6% | 7.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia
More education data for Europe & Central Asia
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 3.52 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 83.79 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 52.35 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.0527 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 17.2% (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0564 units per person (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 64.3% (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Europe & Central Asia?
- Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Europe & Central Asia was 5.7% 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?
- The highest recorded value was 11.7% in 1998.
- What is the lowest unemployment, female (% of female labor force) recorded in Europe & Central Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.6% in 2024.
- How does Europe & Central Asia rank for unemployment, female (% of female labor force)?
- Europe & Central Asia ranks 19th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, female (% of female labor force) rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 33.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia 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.
Download this data
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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.