Human Development Data for the Arab States

Labor participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+)

Labor force participation rate is the proportion of the population ages 15 and older that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.

Source: International Labour Organization, Key Indicators of the Labour Market database.


Country/Region 1980 1990 2000 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Algeria 19.3 22.8 31.3 34.7 35.5 36.1 36.6 37.2
Bahrain 16.9 28.2 33.8 33 32.7 32.3 32.2 32.4
Comoros 64.1 64.3 70.1 72.2 72.5 72.8 73.1 73.7
Djibouti 47.9 51.3 56.6 59.4 60 60.6 61.1 61.5
Iraq 9.8 10.9 12.6 13.4 13.4 13.4 13.3 13.8
Jordan 12.5 15.2 21.6 22.1 22.2 22.8 23.4 23.3
Kuwait 19.3 36 44.3 45.2 44.9 44.9 44.3 45.4
Lebanon 15.1 19.8 20 21.2 21.6 22 21.8 22.3
Mauritania 51.6 52.5 55.6 57.6 57.7 58.1 58.5 59
Morocco 23.5 24.5 27.5 26.2 26.2 26.5 26.5 26.2
Occupied Palestinian Territory 9.9 11.1 10.5 13.9 14.4 15.1 16 16.5
Oman 21.2 18.7 23.4 24.7 24.8 24.8 24.8 25.4
Qatar 22.7 40.4 36.9 45.9 47.1 48 48.2 49.9
Saudi Arabia 9.5 15 17.6 19.8 20.2 20.5 20.8 21.2
Somalia 55.1 58.1 58.4 57.1 56.9 56.7 56.5 56.5
Sudan 31.2 27.4 28.9 30.1 30.3 30.5 30.9 30.8
Syrian Arab Republic 12.8 18.1 20.3 20 20.3 20.7 21 21.1
Tunisia 19 20.8 23.8 24.8 25.1 25.3 25.5 25.6
United Arab Emirates 15.9 25.1 34.2 39.3 40.2 41 41.8 41.9
Arab States 23.8 23.8 25.1 25.7 25.9 26.1 26.3 26.4
East Asia & Pacific (developing only) 67.2 69.2 66.9 65.1 64.8 64.6 64.4 64.3
Europe & Central Asia (developing only) 57.9 55.9 50.2 49.9 50.3 50.6 50.8 50.6
Latin America & Caribbean (developing only) 36.1 40.5 46.9 50 50.8 51 51.6 51.7
Least Developed Countries: UN classification 61.9 62.7 61.6 62.6 62.7 62.8 62.9 63.3
OECD Members 44.4 48 49.4 50 50.3 50.4 50.8 50.5
South Asia 33.3 34.9 33.9 34 34.4 34.6 34.9 34.7
Sub-Saharan Africa (developing only) 56.9 57.1 59.2 60.2 60.3 60.4 60.5 61
World 50.2 52.3 51.7 51.5 51.7 51.7 51.8 51.7


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