Labor force, female in China

China: Labor force, female was 348.52 million in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
348.52 million
Change on year
up 0.0%
World rank
1st
of 186 countries
All-time high
352.43 million
in 2021
All-time low
292.00 million
in 1990
Years of data
36
1990–2025

Labor force, female in China, 1990–2025

0100.0M200.0M300.0M400.0M1990200720251990: 292.0M1991: 294.7M1992: 297.3M1993: 299.7M1994: 302.4M1995: 305.2M1996: 308.3M1997: 311.8M1998: 315.0M1999: 317.7M2000: 320.4M2001: 323.9M2002: 327.8M2003: 331.5M2004: 334.9M2005: 338.4M2006: 341.0M2007: 342.3M2008: 343.0M2009: 343.3M2010: 343.4M2011: 345.7M2012: 346.5M2013: 347.0M2014: 348.0M2015: 348.9M2016: 349.4M2017: 349.3M2018: 349.0M2019: 349.3M2020: 342.1M2021: 352.4M2022: 348.1M2023: 350.8M2024: 348.4M2025: 348.5M

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 China stood at 348.52 million.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force, female in China peaked at 352.43 million in 2021 and was at its lowest, 292.00 million, in 1990.

China ranks 1st of 186 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 304.41 million 292.00 million 317.69 million 10
2000s 334.66 million 320.37 million 343.34 million 10
2010s 347.65 million 343.35 million 349.41 million 10
2020s 348.37 million 342.05 million 352.43 million 6

Countries ranked near China

  1. 2 India 174.86 million compare
  2. 3 United States 79.77 million compare
  3. 4 Indonesia 58.27 million compare

See the full ranking of 234 places →

More gender data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force, female in China?
Labor force, female in China was 348.52 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 China?
The highest recorded value was 352.43 million in 2021.
What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 292.00 million in 1990.
How does China rank for labor force, female?
China ranks 1st out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
Is labor force, female rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this China 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

Indicator
Labor force, female
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators database. Estimates are based on data obtained from International Labour Organization and United Nations Population Division
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
234 places, 8,410 data points, 1990–2025
Last refreshed

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.