Labor force, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income): Labor force, female was 43.88 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (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
In 2025, labor force, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) stood at 43.88 million. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.0% on the previous year and up 8.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) peaked at 43.88 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 14.71 million, in 1990.
That places Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) 39th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 14.71 million | — |
| 1991 | 16.07 million | +9.3% |
| 1992 | 16.80 million | +4.5% |
| 1993 | 17.36 million | +3.3% |
| 1994 | 18.27 million | +5.2% |
| 1995 | 17.97 million | -1.6% |
| 1996 | 18.92 million | +5.3% |
| 1997 | 20.00 million | +5.7% |
| 1998 | 20.84 million | +4.2% |
| 1999 | 22.25 million | +6.8% |
| 2000 | 23.42 million | +5.2% |
| 2001 | 24.33 million | +3.9% |
| 2002 | 24.71 million | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 26.25 million | +6.2% |
| 2004 | 27.88 million | +6.2% |
| 2005 | 29.50 million | +5.8% |
| 2006 | 30.77 million | +4.3% |
| 2007 | 32.21 million | +4.7% |
| 2008 | 32.36 million | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 34.37 million | +6.2% |
| 2010 | 35.70 million | +3.9% |
| 2011 | 36.03 million | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 37.11 million | +3.0% |
| 2013 | 37.81 million | +1.9% |
| 2014 | 38.75 million | +2.5% |
| 2015 | 40.48 million | +4.5% |
| 2016 | 41.33 million | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 41.26 million | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 40.02 million | -3.0% |
| 2019 | 40.77 million | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 39.29 million | -3.6% |
| 2021 | 40.80 million | +3.8% |
| 2022 | 40.48 million | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 42.55 million | +5.1% |
| 2024 | 43.02 million | +1.1% |
| 2025 | 43.88 million | +2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 18.32 million | 14.71 million | 22.25 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 28.58 million | 23.42 million | 34.37 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.93 million | 35.70 million | 41.33 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 41.67 million | 39.29 million | 43.88 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
More gender data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
- Labor force, female, per capita 0.0582 units per person (2025)
- Labor force, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Labor force, female, annual growth rate 2 % change on previous year (2025)
- Labor force, female, per square kilometre 4.23 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) 163.7% (2025)
- School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, female 12.68 years (2018)
- School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, male 13.14 years (2018)
- Proportion of women in ministerial level positions 13.2% (2025)
- Own-account workers, female (% of female employment) 15.9% (2016)
- Own-account workers, male (% of male employment) 26.5% (2016)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- Labor force, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) was 43.88 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 43.88 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.71 million in 1990.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) rank for labor force, female?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 39th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, female rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (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.