Share of female workers by sector in China

China: Share of female workers by sector was 18.68 in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
18.68
Change on year
down 2.5%
World rank
77th
of 186 countries
All-time high
54.4
in 1991
All-time low
18.68
in 2025
Years of data
35
1991–2025

Share of female workers by sector in China, 1991–2025

203040501991200820251991: 54.41992: 53.41993: 51.21994: 48.91995: 46.61996: 44.81997: 44.41998: 44.71999: 45.52000: 45.82001: 46.12002: 46.42003: 45.62004: 43.12005: 412006: 38.72007: 372008: 35.82009: 34.42010: 332011: 312012: 29.92013: 27.52014: 25.42015: 24.22016: 23.42017: 22.72018: 21.92019: 20.82020: 19.82021: 19.52022: 212023: 19.72024: 19.22025: 18.7

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

China recorded 18.68 for share of female workers by sector in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.

The figure is down 2.5% on the previous year and down 22.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of female workers by sector in China peaked at 54.4 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 18.68, in 2025.

That places China 77th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 48.22 44.45 54.4 9
2000s 41.39 34.35 46.38 10
2010s 25.97 20.85 33.01 10
2020s 19.67 18.68 21.04 6

Countries ranked near China

  1. 74 Bosnia and Herzegovina 21.55 compare
  2. 75 Namibia 21.33 compare
  3. 76 Lesotho 19.82 compare
  4. 78 Türkiye 18.05 compare
  5. 79 Kyrgyzstan 17.99 compare
  6. 80 Egypt 17.47 compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More gender data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of female workers by sector in China?
Share of female workers by sector in China was 18.68 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of female workers by sector recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 54.4 in 1991.
What is the lowest share of female workers by sector recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 18.68 in 2025.
How does China rank for share of female workers by sector?
China ranks 77th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
Is share of female workers by sector rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 22.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of female workers by sector. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of female workers by sector in China. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 19 August 2026, from https://gender.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-female-workers-by-sector/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of female workers by sector
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
186 places, 6,496 data points, 1991–2025
Last refreshed