Data / Women in the labour force / World

Women in the labour force in World

Women in the labour force in the World was 40.2% in 2025, according to the World Bank. That is unchanged from 2024.

202540.2%
Change on 2024-0 pts
Series high40.22024
Series low39.31993

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Women in the labour force in World, 1990 to 2025

39.239.439.639.84040.219901996200220082014202020251990: 39.3 %1991: 39.3 %1992: 39.4 %1993: 39.3 %1994: 39.4 %1995: 39.5 %1996: 39.5 %1997: 39.6 %1998: 39.7 %1999: 39.7 %2000: 39.8 %2001: 39.8 %2002: 39.8 %2003: 39.8 %2004: 39.8 %2005: 39.9 %2006: 39.8 %2007: 39.8 %2008: 39.7 %2009: 39.7 %2010: 39.6 %2011: 39.5 %2012: 39.5 %2013: 39.4 %2014: 39.4 %2015: 39.5 %2016: 39.5 %2017: 39.5 %2018: 39.6 %2019: 39.6 %2020: 39.5 %2021: 39.7 %2022: 39.8 %2023: 40.1 %2024: 40.2 %2025: 40.2 %39.339.539.84040.319902002201420251990: 39.3 %1991: 39.3 %1992: 39.4 %1993: 39.3 %1994: 39.4 %1995: 39.5 %1996: 39.5 %1997: 39.6 %1998: 39.7 %1999: 39.7 %2000: 39.8 %2001: 39.8 %2002: 39.8 %2003: 39.8 %2004: 39.8 %2005: 39.9 %2006: 39.8 %2007: 39.8 %2008: 39.7 %2009: 39.7 %2010: 39.6 %2011: 39.5 %2012: 39.5 %2013: 39.4 %2014: 39.4 %2015: 39.5 %2016: 39.5 %2017: 39.5 %2018: 39.6 %2019: 39.6 %2020: 39.5 %2021: 39.7 %2022: 39.8 %2023: 40.1 %2024: 40.2 %2025: 40.2 %
%. Source: World Bank (modelled estimate), Labor force, female (% of total labor force) (SL.TLF.TOTL.FE.ZS). Retrieved 2026-10-18, published 2026-10-08.
All 36 values
Period%
202540.2
202440.2
202340.1
202239.8
202139.7
202039.5
201939.6
201839.6
201739.5
201639.5
201539.5
201439.4
201339.4
201239.5
201139.5
201039.6
200939.7
200839.7
200739.8
200639.8
200539.9
200439.8
200339.8
200239.8
200139.8
200039.8
199939.7
199839.7
199739.6
199639.5
199539.5
199439.4
199339.3
199239.4
199139.3
199039.3

Rankings

Definition

Women aged 15 and over who are employed or unemployed, as a percentage of the total labour force. World Bank series from ILO modelled estimates and UN population estimates.

A share of the labour force, not the female participation rate: half would mean as many women as men are working or looking for work. ILO modelled estimates: model outputs that fill years without a survey, not survey results. The latest year is a nowcast and is revised as surveys arrive.

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How to cite

World Bank, World Development Indicators, modelled estimate. Labor force, female (% of total labor force) (SL.TLF.TOTL.FE.ZS). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.TLF.TOTL.FE.ZS. Retrieved 2026-10-18. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

World Bank. (2026). Labor force, female (% of total labor force) (SL.TLF.TOTL.FE.ZS) (Women in the labour force, World, 1990 to 2025) [Data set]. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.TLF.TOTL.FE.ZS

MLA 9

Labor force, female (% of total labor force) (SL.TLF.TOTL.FE.ZS), Women in the labour force, World, 1990 to 2025. World Bank, 8 Oct. 2026, https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.TLF.TOTL.FE.ZS. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/women-share-of-labor-force/world. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

World Bank. 2026. Labor force, female (% of total labor force) (SL.TLF.TOTL.FE.ZS). Women in the labour force, World, 1990 to 2025. Dataset. Accessed October 18, 2026. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.TLF.TOTL.FE.ZS. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/women-share-of-labor-force/world.

Harvard

World Bank (2026) Labor force, female (% of total labor force) (SL.TLF.TOTL.FE.ZS), Women in the labour force, World, 1990 to 2025 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.TLF.TOTL.FE.ZS, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/en/women-share-of-labor-force/world (Accessed: 18 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{world_women_in_the_labour_2025,
  author = {{World Bank}},
  title = {{Labor force, female (\% of total labor force) (SL.TLF.TOTL.FE.ZS): Women in the labour force, World, 1990 to 2025}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.TLF.TOTL.FE.ZS},
  urldate = {2026-10-18},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/women-share-of-labor-force/world. Publisher attribution: World Bank, World Development Indicators, modelled estimate. Labor force, female (\% of total labor force) (SL.TLF.TOTL.FE.ZS). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.TLF.TOTL.FE.ZS. Retrieved 2026-10-18. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - World Bank
TI  - Labor force, female (% of total labor force) (SL.TLF.TOTL.FE.ZS): Women in the labour force, World, 1990 to 2025
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/08
PB  - World Bank
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.TLF.TOTL.FE.ZS
L2  - https://invokely.ai/en/women-share-of-labor-force/world
Y2  - 2026/10/18
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/women-share-of-labor-force/world.
N1  - Publisher attribution: World Bank, World Development Indicators, modelled estimate. Labor force, female (% of total labor force) (SL.TLF.TOTL.FE.ZS). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.TLF.TOTL.FE.ZS. Retrieved 2026-10-18. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
ER  -
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Questions

What is the women in the labour force in World?

Women in the labour force in the World was 40.2% in 2025, according to the World Bank. That is unchanged from 2024.

Where does this figure come from?

World Bank. Labor force, female (% of total labor force) (SL.TLF.TOTL.FE.ZS). Retrieved by Invokely on 2026-10-18.

What was the highest women in the labour force in World?

40.2% in 2024, the highest value since 1990 in this series.

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