Labor force, female in Germany

Germany: Labor force, female was 20.25 million in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
20.25 million
Change on year
down 0.6%
World rank
14th
of 186 countries
All-time high
20.39 million
in 2023
All-time low
15.75 million
in 1990
Years of data
36
1990–2025

Labor force, female in Germany, 1990–2025

05.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M1990200720251990: 15.7M1991: 16.8M1992: 16.8M1993: 16.7M1994: 17.0M1995: 17.0M1996: 17.0M1997: 17.3M1998: 17.4M1999: 17.6M2000: 17.6M2001: 17.8M2002: 17.9M2003: 18.2M2004: 18.1M2005: 18.5M2006: 18.9M2007: 19.1M2008: 19.0M2009: 19.2M2010: 19.2M2011: 19.2M2012: 19.3M2013: 19.5M2014: 19.6M2015: 19.7M2016: 19.9M2017: 20.1M2018: 20.2M2019: 20.4M2020: 20.1M2021: 20.1M2022: 20.3M2023: 20.4M2024: 20.4M2025: 20.2M

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 Germany is 20.25 million, measured in 2025.

The figure is down 0.6% on the previous year and up 2.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force, female in Germany peaked at 20.39 million in 2023 and was at its lowest, 15.75 million, in 1990.

Germany ranks 14th 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 16.92 million 15.75 million 17.57 million 10
2000s 18.43 million 17.61 million 19.20 million 10
2010s 19.70 million 19.16 million 20.36 million 10
2020s 20.25 million 20.09 million 20.39 million 6

Countries ranked near Germany

  1. 11 Mexico 24.84 million compare
  2. 12 Ethiopia 24.46 million compare
  3. 13 Philippines 21.73 million compare
  4. 15 Pakistan 19.39 million compare
  5. 16 Democratic Republic of Congo 19.17 million compare
  6. 17 Thailand 18.74 million compare

See the full ranking of 234 places →

More gender data for Germany

All data for Germany →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force, female in Germany?
Labor force, female in Germany was 20.25 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 Germany?
The highest recorded value was 20.39 million in 2023.
What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in Germany?
The lowest recorded value was 15.75 million in 1990.
How does Germany rank for labor force, female?
Germany ranks 14th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
Is labor force, female rising or falling in Germany?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Germany 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.