Labor force, female in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Labor force, female was 639,744 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, female in Afghanistan, 1990–2025
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators database. Estimates are based on data obtained from International Labour Organization and United Nations Population Division.
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 639,744 for labor force, female in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.6% on the previous year and down 63.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, female in Afghanistan peaked at 2.07 million in 2017 and was at its lowest, 506,575, in 1990.
Afghanistan ranks 130th of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force, female in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 506,575 | — |
| 1991 | 511,991 | +1.1% |
| 1992 | 551,105 | +7.6% |
| 1993 | 613,139 | +11.3% |
| 1994 | 656,969 | +7.1% |
| 1995 | 678,691 | +3.3% |
| 1996 | 693,849 | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 706,808 | +1.9% |
| 1998 | 719,853 | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 733,643 | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 731,199 | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 728,925 | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 763,953 | +4.8% |
| 2003 | 811,494 | +6.2% |
| 2004 | 844,129 | +4.0% |
| 2005 | 881,535 | +4.4% |
| 2006 | 930,605 | +5.6% |
| 2007 | 967,000 | +3.9% |
| 2008 | 1.01 million | +4.7% |
| 2009 | 1.08 million | +6.5% |
| 2010 | 1.14 million | +5.9% |
| 2011 | 1.22 million | +6.7% |
| 2012 | 1.30 million | +7.0% |
| 2013 | 1.44 million | +10.2% |
| 2014 | 1.59 million | +10.4% |
| 2015 | 1.74 million | +9.7% |
| 2016 | 1.90 million | +9.0% |
| 2017 | 2.07 million | +9.2% |
| 2018 | 2.00 million | -3.3% |
| 2019 | 1.92 million | -4.1% |
| 2020 | 1.80 million | -6.5% |
| 2021 | 1.64 million | -8.6% |
| 2022 | 591,504 | -64.0% |
| 2023 | 605,845 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | 623,753 | +3.0% |
| 2025 | 639,744 | +2.6% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 639,744 is below the median for low income countries, which is 2.70 million, 24% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 639,744 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 888,389, 72% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Labor force, female in Afghanistan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -64.0% | 1.64 million | 591,504 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 637,262 | 506,575 | 733,643 | 10 |
| 2000s | 874,989 | 728,925 | 1.08 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.63 million | 1.14 million | 2.07 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 983,441 | 591,504 | 1.80 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More gender data for Afghanistan
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 20,358 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 1.64 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 29,681 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 29,681 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 3.43 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 707,563 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 739,025 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 690,872 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 720,642 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 674,248 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, female in Afghanistan?
- Labor force, female in Afghanistan was 639,744 in 2025, according to World Bank, World Development Indicators database. Estimates are based on data obtained from International Labour Organization and United Nations Population Division.
- What is the highest labor force, female recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 2.07 million in 2017.
- What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 506,575 in 1990.
- How does Afghanistan rank for labor force, female?
- Afghanistan ranks 130th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, female rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 63.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, World Development Indicators database. Estimates are based on data obtained from International Labour Organization and United Nations Population Division, published as part of Labor force, female. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Female labor force comprises women ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period. It includes people who are currently employed and people who are unemployed but seeking work as well as first-time job-seekers. Not everyone who works is included, however. Unpaid workers, family workers, and students are often omitted, and some countries do not count members of the armed forces. Labor force size tends to vary during the year as seasonal workers enter and leave.