Labor force, female in Australia
Australia: Labor force, female was 7.21 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, female in Australia, 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
The most recent figure for labor force, female in Australia is 7.21 million, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 24.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, female in Australia peaked at 7.21 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 3.52 million, in 1990.
That places Australia 40th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force, female in Australia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 3.52 million | — |
| 1991 | 3.55 million | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 3.59 million | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 3.62 million | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 3.72 million | +2.9% |
| 1995 | 3.84 million | +3.2% |
| 1996 | 3.91 million | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 3.95 million | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 4.00 million | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 4.06 million | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 4.18 million | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 4.29 million | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 4.36 million | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 4.48 million | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 4.52 million | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 4.69 million | +3.7% |
| 2006 | 4.80 million | +2.5% |
| 2007 | 4.94 million | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 5.09 million | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 5.21 million | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 5.29 million | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 5.40 million | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 5.49 million | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 5.58 million | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 5.66 million | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 5.80 million | +2.4% |
| 2016 | 5.92 million | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 6.07 million | +2.6% |
| 2018 | 6.24 million | +2.9% |
| 2019 | 6.39 million | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 6.38 million | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 6.55 million | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 6.75 million | +3.2% |
| 2023 | 6.94 million | +2.8% |
| 2024 | 7.11 million | +2.3% |
| 2025 | 7.21 million | +1.5% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 7.21 million is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.45 million, 5.0× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Australia's 7.21 million is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.70 million, 4.2× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.78 million | 3.52 million | 4.06 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.66 million | 4.18 million | 5.21 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.78 million | 5.29 million | 6.39 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.82 million | 6.38 million | 7.21 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More gender data for Australia
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 4,759 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.0804 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 23,430 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 23,430 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.02 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 149,630 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 157,746 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 150,777 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 158,898 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 151,066 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, female in Australia?
- Labor force, female in Australia was 7.21 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 Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 7.21 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.52 million in 1990.
- How does Australia rank for labor force, female?
- Australia ranks 40th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, female rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia 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.