Labor force, female in Ethiopia

Ethiopia: Labor force, female was 24.46 million in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
24.46 million
Change on year
up 3.2%
World rank
12th
of 186 countries
All-time high
24.46 million
in 2025
All-time low
9.94 million
in 1990
Years of data
36
1990–2025

Labor force, female in Ethiopia, 1990–2025

05.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M25.0M1990200720251990: 9.9M1991: 10.4M1992: 10.8M1993: 11.1M1994: 11.4M1995: 11.8M1996: 12.1M1997: 12.4M1998: 12.7M1999: 13.0M2000: 13.4M2001: 13.7M2002: 14.2M2003: 14.6M2004: 15.1M2005: 15.5M2006: 16.0M2007: 16.6M2008: 17.2M2009: 17.8M2010: 18.4M2011: 19.1M2012: 19.9M2013: 20.6M2014: 20.8M2015: 21.0M2016: 21.1M2017: 21.3M2018: 21.4M2019: 21.4M2020: 21.2M2021: 21.2M2022: 22.1M2023: 22.9M2024: 23.7M2025: 24.5M

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 Ethiopia stood at 24.46 million. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.

The figure is up 3.2% on the previous year and up 16.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force, female in Ethiopia peaked at 24.46 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 9.94 million, in 1990.

Ethiopia ranks 12th 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 11.56 million 9.94 million 13.04 million 10
2000s 15.40 million 13.38 million 17.78 million 10
2010s 20.50 million 18.43 million 21.39 million 10
2020s 22.59 million 21.17 million 24.46 million 6

Countries ranked near Ethiopia

  1. 9 Vietnam 27.85 million compare
  2. 10 Bangladesh 25.43 million compare
  3. 11 Mexico 24.84 million compare
  4. 13 Philippines 21.73 million compare
  5. 14 Germany 20.25 million compare
  6. 15 Pakistan 19.39 million compare

See the full ranking of 234 places →

More gender data for Ethiopia

All data for Ethiopia →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force, female in Ethiopia?
Labor force, female in Ethiopia was 24.46 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 Ethiopia?
The highest recorded value was 24.46 million in 2025.
What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in Ethiopia?
The lowest recorded value was 9.94 million in 1990.
How does Ethiopia rank for labor force, female?
Ethiopia ranks 12th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
Is labor force, female rising or falling in Ethiopia?
Over the last ten years it is up 16.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Ethiopia 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

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.