Labor force, female in Ireland
Ireland: Labor force, female was 1.37 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, female in Ireland, 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 Ireland is 1.37 million, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is up 2.1% on the previous year and up 32.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, female in Ireland peaked at 1.37 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 543,845, in 1990.
That places Ireland 105th 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 Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 543,845 | — |
| 1991 | 560,204 | +3.0% |
| 1992 | 573,519 | +2.4% |
| 1993 | 599,923 | +4.6% |
| 1994 | 621,113 | +3.5% |
| 1995 | 644,451 | +3.8% |
| 1996 | 681,039 | +5.7% |
| 1997 | 695,549 | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 727,832 | +4.6% |
| 1999 | 754,660 | +3.7% |
| 2000 | 784,492 | +4.0% |
| 2001 | 807,784 | +3.0% |
| 2002 | 835,559 | +3.4% |
| 2003 | 852,548 | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 869,931 | +2.0% |
| 2005 | 916,091 | +5.3% |
| 2006 | 953,799 | +4.1% |
| 2007 | 1.00 million | +5.3% |
| 2008 | 1.02 million | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 1.02 million | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 1.01 million | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 1.01 million | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 1.01 million | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 1.02 million | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 1.02 million | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 1.03 million | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 1.06 million | +2.8% |
| 2017 | 1.08 million | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 1.11 million | +2.5% |
| 2019 | 1.13 million | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 1.13 million | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 1.21 million | +6.9% |
| 2022 | 1.26 million | +4.7% |
| 2023 | 1.32 million | +4.3% |
| 2024 | 1.34 million | +1.6% |
| 2025 | 1.37 million | +2.1% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 1.37 million is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.45 million, 94% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 1.37 million is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.57 million, 87% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 640,214 | 543,845 | 754,660 | 10 |
| 2000s | 906,901 | 784,492 | 1.02 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.05 million | 1.01 million | 1.13 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.27 million | 1.13 million | 1.37 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More gender data for Ireland
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 899.27 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.9809 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 4,626 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 4,626 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.02 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 26,039 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 27,455 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 26,494 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 27,919 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 26,943 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, female in Ireland?
- Labor force, female in Ireland was 1.37 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 Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 1.37 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 543,845 in 1990.
- How does Ireland rank for labor force, female?
- Ireland ranks 105th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, female rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 32.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland 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
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.