Labor force, female in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Labor force, female was 25.43 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, female in Bangladesh, 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 Bangladesh stood at 25.43 million.
That represents a change of up 1.5% on the previous year and up 34.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, female in Bangladesh peaked at 27.28 million in 2022 and was at its lowest, 7.53 million, in 1990.
Bangladesh ranks 10th of 187 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force, female in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 7.53 million | — |
| 1991 | 7.86 million | +4.3% |
| 1992 | 8.21 million | +4.5% |
| 1993 | 8.60 million | +4.7% |
| 1994 | 9.02 million | +4.9% |
| 1995 | 9.47 million | +5.1% |
| 1996 | 9.96 million | +5.1% |
| 1997 | 10.45 million | +4.9% |
| 1998 | 10.94 million | +4.6% |
| 1999 | 11.41 million | +4.3% |
| 2000 | 11.87 million | +4.0% |
| 2001 | 12.26 million | +3.3% |
| 2002 | 12.59 million | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 12.91 million | +2.5% |
| 2004 | 13.22 million | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 13.54 million | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 13.83 million | +2.2% |
| 2007 | 14.85 million | +7.4% |
| 2008 | 15.92 million | +7.2% |
| 2009 | 17.03 million | +7.0% |
| 2010 | 18.21 million | +6.9% |
| 2011 | 18.20 million | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 18.20 million | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 18.20 million | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 18.56 million | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 18.92 million | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 19.28 million | +1.9% |
| 2017 | 21.46 million | +11.3% |
| 2018 | 22.55 million | +5.1% |
| 2019 | 23.61 million | +4.7% |
| 2020 | 24.51 million | +3.8% |
| 2021 | 25.94 million | +5.9% |
| 2022 | 27.28 million | +5.2% |
| 2023 | 26.64 million | -2.4% |
| 2024 | 25.05 million | -6.0% |
| 2025 | 25.43 million | +1.5% |
Bangladesh compared with similar countries
- Bangladesh's 25.43 million is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.10 million, 12.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Bangladesh's 25.43 million is above the median for South Asia, which is 2.95 million, 8.6× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.34 million | 7.53 million | 11.41 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.80 million | 11.87 million | 17.03 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.72 million | 18.20 million | 23.61 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.81 million | 24.51 million | 27.28 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
More gender data for Bangladesh
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 48,868 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.1434 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 137,205 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 137,205 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.43 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 1.66 million (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 1.74 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 1.66 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 1.74 million (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 1.66 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, female in Bangladesh?
- Labor force, female in Bangladesh was 25.43 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 Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 27.28 million in 2022.
- What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.53 million in 1990.
- How does Bangladesh rank for labor force, female?
- Bangladesh ranks 10th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, female rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is up 34.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bangladesh 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.
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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.