Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Least developed countries
Least developed countries: Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) was 4.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Least developed countries, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Least developed countries recorded 4.7% for unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.3% on the previous year and down 12.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Least developed countries peaked at 6.0% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 4.6%, in 1997.
That places Least developed countries 32nd out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Least developed countries, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 4.8% | — |
| 1992 | 4.8% | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 4.8% | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 4.8% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 4.7% | -2.5% |
| 1996 | 4.6% | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 4.6% | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 4.7% | +2.3% |
| 1999 | 4.8% | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 4.9% | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 4.9% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 5.0% | +2.8% |
| 2003 | 5.2% | +2.5% |
| 2004 | 5.2% | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 5.3% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 5.3% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 5.3% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 5.3% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 5.4% | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 5.3% | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 5.5% | +3.5% |
| 2012 | 5.5% | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 5.5% | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 5.4% | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 5.4% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 5.4% | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 5.4% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 5.3% | -2.4% |
| 2019 | 5.3% | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 5.9% | +12.6% |
| 2021 | 6.0% | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 5.3% | -11.8% |
| 2023 | 4.9% | -8.2% |
| 2024 | 4.8% | -2.3% |
| 2025 | 4.7% | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4.7% | 4.6% | 4.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 5.2% | 4.9% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.4% | 5.3% | 5.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.3% | 4.7% | 6.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Least developed countries
- 29 South Sudan 13.6% compare
- 30 Belize 13.5% compare
- 31 Guyana 13.4% compare
- 32 Bosnia and Herzegovina 13.3% compare
- 33 Rwanda 12.8% compare
- 34 French Polynesia 12.5% compare
- 35 United States Virgin Islands 12.2% compare
More education data for Least developed countries
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 4.43 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 75.92 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 171.01 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.04 % 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 0.1441 units per person (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 57.7% (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 38.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Least developed countries?
- Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Least developed countries was 4.7% 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 Least developed countries?
- The highest recorded value was 6.0% in 2021.
- What is the lowest unemployment, female (% of female labor force) recorded in Least developed countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.6% in 1997.
- How does Least developed countries rank for unemployment, female (% of female labor force)?
- Least developed countries ranks 32nd out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, female (% of female labor force) rising or falling in Least developed countries?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Least developed countries 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
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.