Labor force, female in Iran
Iran: Labor force, female was 4.99 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, female in Iran, 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 Iran stood at 4.99 million.
That represents a change of up 0.6% on the previous year and up 11.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, female in Iran peaked at 5.59 million in 2018 and was at its lowest, 1.51 million, in 1990.
That places Iran 48th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force, female in Iran, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1.51 million | — |
| 1991 | 1.60 million | +5.4% |
| 1992 | 1.66 million | +4.0% |
| 1993 | 1.69 million | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 1.74 million | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 1.83 million | +5.1% |
| 1996 | 1.93 million | +5.6% |
| 1997 | 2.14 million | +11.2% |
| 1998 | 2.39 million | +11.6% |
| 1999 | 2.67 million | +11.6% |
| 2000 | 2.97 million | +11.4% |
| 2001 | 3.31 million | +11.3% |
| 2002 | 3.63 million | +9.9% |
| 2003 | 3.98 million | +9.7% |
| 2004 | 4.40 million | +10.5% |
| 2005 | 4.85 million | +10.2% |
| 2006 | 4.84 million | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 4.68 million | -3.3% |
| 2008 | 4.14 million | -11.4% |
| 2009 | 4.49 million | +8.3% |
| 2010 | 4.40 million | -1.9% |
| 2011 | 4.01 million | -8.8% |
| 2012 | 4.46 million | +11.0% |
| 2013 | 4.05 million | -9.2% |
| 2014 | 3.99 million | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 4.46 million | +11.8% |
| 2016 | 5.08 million | +14.0% |
| 2017 | 5.53 million | +8.7% |
| 2018 | 5.59 million | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 5.48 million | -1.9% |
| 2020 | 4.52 million | -17.6% |
| 2021 | 4.36 million | -3.5% |
| 2022 | 4.57 million | +4.7% |
| 2023 | 4.87 million | +6.7% |
| 2024 | 4.96 million | +1.7% |
| 2025 | 4.99 million | +0.6% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 4.99 million is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.49 million, 3.3× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Iran's 4.99 million is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 888,389, 5.6× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.92 million | 1.51 million | 2.67 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.13 million | 2.97 million | 4.85 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.70 million | 3.99 million | 5.59 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.71 million | 4.36 million | 4.99 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iran
- 45 Uzbekistan 5.26 million compare
- 46 Cambodia 5.04 million compare
- 47 Cameroon 5.03 million compare
- 49 Netherlands 4.88 million compare
- 50 Kazakhstan 4.83 million compare
- 51 Burkina Faso 4.61 million compare
More gender data for Iran
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 18,410 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -2.73 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 77,077 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 77,077 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.34 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 552,656 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 580,401 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 565,065 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 593,686 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 576,359 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, female in Iran?
- Labor force, female in Iran was 4.99 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 Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 5.59 million in 2018.
- What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.51 million in 1990.
- How does Iran rank for labor force, female?
- Iran ranks 48th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, female rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iran 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.