Global Female Labor Force Participation Rate

In almost every country, the workforce is dominated by male workers. Meanwhile, the female labor force participation rate has not shown an upward trend for the past two decades. According to World Bank data, globally the female labor force participation rate is increasing, although the increase is not significant.

From 1990 to 2005, the female labor force participation rate increased by 0.61%. Unfortunately, this achievement could not be sustained after 15 years. In 2006, the female labor force participation rate decreased to 39.768% or down 0.082% from the previous year. The downward trend continued for 7 years until 2012, reaching 39.251%. Then, in 2017, along with the increase in the number of female workers, this participation rate increased to 39.298%.

This article was produced in partnership with Investing in Women, an initiative of the Australian Government that promotes women’s economic empowerment in South East Asia.