Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) was 2.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Papua New Guinea, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Papua New Guinea stood at 2.1%.
The figure is down 2.2% on the previous year and up 30.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Papua New Guinea peaked at 2.3% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.3%, in 2010.
That places Papua New Guinea 171st out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Papua New Guinea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1.8% | — |
| 1992 | 1.6% | -6.4% |
| 1993 | 1.5% | -8.5% |
| 1994 | 1.5% | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 1.6% | +7.5% |
| 1996 | 1.7% | +4.7% |
| 1997 | 1.8% | +4.6% |
| 1998 | 1.8% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 1.9% | +2.8% |
| 2000 | 1.8% | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 1.8% | -4.0% |
| 2002 | 1.7% | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 1.7% | -4.6% |
| 2004 | 1.6% | -3.8% |
| 2005 | 1.5% | -5.5% |
| 2006 | 1.4% | -4.2% |
| 2007 | 1.4% | -5.0% |
| 2008 | 1.4% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 1.3% | -3.6% |
| 2010 | 1.3% | -4.2% |
| 2011 | 1.4% | +13.3% |
| 2012 | 1.5% | +4.7% |
| 2013 | 1.6% | +6.5% |
| 2014 | 1.6% | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 1.6% | +2.5% |
| 2016 | 1.7% | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 1.8% | +7.8% |
| 2018 | 1.9% | +6.2% |
| 2019 | 2.0% | +3.5% |
| 2020 | 2.1% | +9.2% |
| 2021 | 2.3% | +9.6% |
| 2022 | 2.2% | -6.6% |
| 2023 | 2.2% | -1.4% |
| 2024 | 2.1% | -0.8% |
| 2025 | 2.1% | -2.2% |
Papua New Guinea compared with similar countries
- Papua New Guinea's 2.1% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.5%, 38% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Papua New Guinea's 2.1% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.0%, 69% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.7% | 1.5% | 1.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 1.6% | 1.3% | 1.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.6% | 1.3% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.2% | 2.1% | 2.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea
- 168 Liberia 2.2% compare
- 169 Russian Federation 2.2% compare
- 170 Sierra Leone 2.1% compare
- 172 Macau, China 2.1% compare
- 173 Togo 2.0% compare
- 174 Guinea-Bissau 1.9% compare
More education data for Papua New Guinea
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 14,791 (2016)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 80,915 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 226,545 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 208,353 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 655,030 (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.65 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 10.31 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1593 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Papua New Guinea?
- Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Papua New Guinea was 2.1% 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 Papua New Guinea?
- The highest recorded value was 2.3% in 2021.
- What is the lowest unemployment, female (% of female labor force) recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.3% in 2010.
- How does Papua New Guinea rank for unemployment, female (% of female labor force)?
- Papua New Guinea ranks 171st out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, female (% of female labor force) rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Papua New Guinea 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.