Which Countries Have The Most And Least Women In The Workforce?
Countries With the Most and Least Women in the Workforce
This map shows the top and bottom 10 countries by the percentage of their women population (aged 15+) in the labor force. This is also called the female workforce participation rate.
Data for this graphic is sourced from the World Bank, which aggregates International Labour Organization estimates from 2023.
Ranked: Countries By Rate of Women in the Workforce
Madagascar, Burundi, and Mozambique have some of the highest women workforce participation rates in the world (near 80%).
On the other hand, Afghanistan and Yemen are currently estimated to have the lowest percentage of working-aged women in their workforce at 5%.
By glancing through the bottom 20, it’s apparent that countries in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia exhibit notably lower rates of women in the workforce.
As Our World in Data points out, female labor force participation peaks in some of the richest and poorest countries in the world. But is lowest in countries with average national incomes.
More people in the workforce can contribute to economic growth and productivity. As women make up roughly half the population, their participation can be a major driver of economic expansion.
