Labor force, female in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income): Labor force, female was 36.28 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, female in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income), 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 Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) is 36.28 million, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and down 13.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, female in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) peaked at 43.48 million in 2019 and was at its lowest, 34.65 million, in 2022.
Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) ranks 39th of 46 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force, female in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 36.49 million | — |
| 1991 | 37.00 million | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 37.24 million | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 36.48 million | -2.0% |
| 1994 | 37.77 million | +3.5% |
| 1995 | 37.92 million | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 37.91 million | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 37.67 million | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 37.92 million | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 38.35 million | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 37.88 million | -1.2% |
| 2001 | 38.26 million | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 38.78 million | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 38.73 million | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 38.00 million | -1.9% |
| 2005 | 38.10 million | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 38.31 million | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 38.38 million | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 38.75 million | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 39.38 million | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 40.05 million | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 40.62 million | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 40.92 million | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 41.34 million | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 41.48 million | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 42.04 million | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 42.54 million | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 42.94 million | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 43.26 million | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 43.48 million | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 42.16 million | -3.0% |
| 2021 | 42.94 million | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 34.65 million | -19.3% |
| 2023 | 35.24 million | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 36.03 million | +2.3% |
| 2025 | 36.28 million | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 37.47 million | 36.48 million | 38.35 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 38.46 million | 37.88 million | 39.38 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 41.87 million | 40.05 million | 43.48 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 37.88 million | 34.65 million | 42.94 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
More gender data for Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
- Labor force, female, per capita 0.1433 units per person (2025)
- Labor force, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Labor force, female, annual growth rate 0.6952 % change on previous year (2025)
- Labor force, female, per square kilometre 5.97 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) 156.5% (2025)
- School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, female 15.37 years (2019)
- School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, male 15.4 years (2019)
- Proportion of women in ministerial level positions 16.9% (2025)
- Own-account workers, female (% of female employment) 10.5% (2016)
- Own-account workers, male (% of male employment) 15.9% (2016)
All data for Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, female in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- Labor force, female in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) was 36.28 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 Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 43.48 million in 2019.
- What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.65 million in 2022.
- How does Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) rank for labor force, female?
- Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) ranks 39th out of 46 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, female rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) 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
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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.