Labor force, female in Arab World
Arab World: Labor force, female was 27.41 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, female in Arab World, 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
In 2025, labor force, female in Arab World stood at 27.41 million. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is up 2.7% on the previous year and up 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, female in Arab World peaked at 27.41 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 12.06 million, in 1990.
That places Arab World 42nd out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force, female in Arab World, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 12.06 million | — |
| 1991 | 12.47 million | +3.4% |
| 1992 | 13.12 million | +5.2% |
| 1993 | 13.50 million | +2.9% |
| 1994 | 14.25 million | +5.6% |
| 1995 | 14.55 million | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 15.01 million | +3.1% |
| 1997 | 15.33 million | +2.2% |
| 1998 | 15.74 million | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 16.63 million | +5.6% |
| 2000 | 17.19 million | +3.4% |
| 2001 | 17.63 million | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 17.54 million | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 18.24 million | +4.0% |
| 2004 | 18.93 million | +3.8% |
| 2005 | 19.67 million | +3.9% |
| 2006 | 20.51 million | +4.3% |
| 2007 | 21.75 million | +6.0% |
| 2008 | 21.97 million | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 22.92 million | +4.3% |
| 2010 | 23.64 million | +3.2% |
| 2011 | 24.25 million | +2.6% |
| 2012 | 24.55 million | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 25.28 million | +3.0% |
| 2014 | 25.96 million | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 26.51 million | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 27.18 million | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 26.70 million | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 25.92 million | -2.9% |
| 2019 | 25.72 million | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 25.39 million | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 26.25 million | +3.4% |
| 2022 | 26.93 million | +2.6% |
| 2023 | 26.48 million | -1.7% |
| 2024 | 26.70 million | +0.8% |
| 2025 | 27.41 million | +2.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 14.27 million | 12.06 million | 16.63 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.63 million | 17.19 million | 22.92 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.57 million | 23.64 million | 27.18 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.53 million | 25.39 million | 27.41 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Arab World
More gender data for Arab World
- Labor force, female, per capita 0.0545 units per person (2025)
- Labor force, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Labor force, female, annual growth rate 2.68 % change on previous year (2025)
- Labor force, female, per square kilometre 2.02 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Incidence of HIV, ages 15-49, female 0.092 per 1,000 uninfected female population ages 15-49 (2024)
- Incidence of HIV, ages 15-49, male 0.1271 per 1,000 uninfected male population ages 15-49 (2024)
- Incidence of HIV, ages 15-24, female 0.0887 per 1,000 uninfected female population ages 15-24 (2024)
- Incidence of HIV, ages 15-24, male 0.1065 per 1,000 uninfected male population ages 15-24 (2024)
- Ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) 211.1% (2025)
- School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, female 11.48 years (2018)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, female in Arab World?
- Labor force, female in Arab World was 27.41 million 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 Arab World?
- The highest recorded value was 27.41 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in Arab World?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.06 million in 1990.
- How does Arab World rank for labor force, female?
- Arab World ranks 42nd out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, female rising or falling in Arab World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Arab World 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.