Labor force, female in Iraq
Iraq: Labor force, female was 1.66 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, female in Iraq, 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
Iraq recorded 1.66 million for labor force, female in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.3% on the previous year and up 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, female in Iraq peaked at 1.72 million in 2016 and was at its lowest, 428,719, in 1990.
Iraq ranks 93rd of 187 countries on this measure, 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 Iraq, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 428,719 | — |
| 1991 | 436,600 | +1.8% |
| 1992 | 456,564 | +4.6% |
| 1993 | 481,110 | +5.4% |
| 1994 | 506,381 | +5.3% |
| 1995 | 526,605 | +4.0% |
| 1996 | 545,909 | +3.7% |
| 1997 | 568,114 | +4.1% |
| 1998 | 606,368 | +6.7% |
| 1999 | 647,781 | +6.8% |
| 2000 | 692,406 | +6.9% |
| 2001 | 739,134 | +6.7% |
| 2002 | 789,584 | +6.8% |
| 2003 | 843,035 | +6.8% |
| 2004 | 899,633 | +6.7% |
| 2005 | 961,855 | +6.9% |
| 2006 | 1.01 million | +4.6% |
| 2007 | 1.04 million | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 1.06 million | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 1.09 million | +3.4% |
| 2010 | 1.12 million | +2.8% |
| 2011 | 1.16 million | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 1.21 million | +4.0% |
| 2013 | 1.36 million | +12.9% |
| 2014 | 1.52 million | +11.5% |
| 2015 | 1.61 million | +6.5% |
| 2016 | 1.72 million | +6.3% |
| 2017 | 1.36 million | -20.5% |
| 2018 | 1.42 million | +3.9% |
| 2019 | 1.48 million | +4.1% |
| 2020 | 1.43 million | -3.3% |
| 2021 | 1.47 million | +3.1% |
| 2022 | 1.55 million | +5.6% |
| 2023 | 1.56 million | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 1.62 million | +3.7% |
| 2025 | 1.66 million | +2.3% |
Iraq compared with similar countries
- Iraq's 1.66 million is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.49 million, 1.1× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Iraq's 1.66 million is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 888,389, 1.9× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 520,415 | 428,719 | 647,781 | 10 |
| 2000s | 912,017 | 692,406 | 1.09 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.40 million | 1.12 million | 1.72 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.55 million | 1.43 million | 1.66 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
More gender data for Iraq
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 17,091 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.3028 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 34,846 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 34,846 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 2.78 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 566,580 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 596,188 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 558,252 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 587,298 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 550,204 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, female in Iraq?
- Labor force, female in Iraq was 1.66 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 Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 1.72 million in 2016.
- What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 428,719 in 1990.
- How does Iraq rank for labor force, female?
- Iraq ranks 93rd out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, female rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iraq 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.