Countries in Africa Ranked by Female labour force participation (2025)
Female labour force participation: each country's latest value (2020–2025), ranked from highest to lowest. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Madagascar ranks #1 with 82.9% of female population 15+. Nigeria is second with 80.7% of female population 15+, 2.7% behind. The top five are Madagascar, Nigeria, Tanzania, Burundi and Mozambique. The median across all 53 is 56.4% of female population 15+; Algeria is last at 14.1% of female population 15+. Madagascar's figure has fallen 1% since 2001 (84% of female population 15+ to 82.9% of female population 15+ in 2025).
- #1
- Madagascar · 82.9% of female population 15+
- Median
- 56.4% of female population 15+
- Coverage
- 53 countries in Africa
- Data year
- 2025
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | Female labour force participation (% of female population 15+) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Madagascar | 82.9 | 2025 |
| 2 | Nigeria | 80.7 | 2025 |
| 3 | Tanzania | 80.3 | 2025 |
| 4 | Burundi | 79.5 | 2025 |
| 5 | Mozambique | 77.1 | 2025 |
| 6 | Uganda | 75.6 | 2025 |
| 7 | Benin | 75.2 | 2025 |
| 8 | Eritrea | 72.8 | 2025 |
| 9 | Niger | 72.8 | 2025 |
| 10 | Angola | 72.2 | 2025 |
| 11 | Liberia | 72 | 2025 |
| 12 | South Sudan | 70.4 | 2023 |
| 13 | Congo, Rep. | 65.6 | 2025 |
| 14 | Central African Republic | 65.5 | 2025 |
| 15 | Burkina Faso | 64.1 | 2025 |
| 16 | Botswana | 63.7 | 2025 |
| 17 | Kenya | 63 | 2025 |
| 18 | Zimbabwe | 62.2 | 2025 |
| 19 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 61.8 | 2025 |
| 20 | Guinea-Bissau | 60.3 | 2025 |
| 21 | Côte d'Ivoire | 59.5 | 2025 |
| 22 | Ethiopia | 58.5 | 2025 |
| 23 | Malawi | 58.2 | 2025 |
| 24 | Rwanda | 57.3 | 2025 |
| 25 | Togo | 56.6 | 2025 |
| 26 | Cameroon | 56.6 | 2025 |
| 27 | Zambia | 56.4 | 2025 |
| 28 | Ghana | 55.3 | 2025 |
| 29 | Namibia | 54.9 | 2025 |
| 30 | Mali | 52.8 | 2025 |
| 31 | Equatorial Guinea | 52.6 | 2025 |
| 32 | Sierra Leone | 51.6 | 2025 |
| 33 | Cabo Verde | 50.5 | 2025 |
| 34 | South Africa | 49.9 | 2025 |
| 35 | Eswatini | 48.5 | 2025 |
| 36 | Lesotho | 48.1 | 2025 |
| 37 | Comoros | 47.6 | 2025 |
| 38 | Mauritius | 47.5 | 2025 |
| 39 | Chad | 47.3 | 2025 |
| 40 | Gambia, The | 45.5 | 2025 |
| 41 | Guinea | 42.6 | 2025 |
| 42 | Gabon | 41.6 | 2025 |
| 43 | Senegal | 38.2 | 2025 |
| 44 | Libya | 33 | 2025 |
| 45 | Tunisia | 26.5 | 2025 |
| 46 | Mauritania | 26.2 | 2025 |
| 47 | São Tomé and Principe | 22.7 | 2025 |
| 48 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 20.7 | 2025 |
| 49 | Morocco | 19.7 | 2025 |
| 50 | Djibouti | 19.4 | 2025 |
| 51 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 18.5 | 2025 |
| 52 | Sudan | 14.5 | 2022 |
| 53 | Algeria | 14.1 | 2025 |
About the top 10
#1 Madagascar
Madagascar ranks #1 on this list with 82.9% of female population 15+.
- Capital
- Antananarivo
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 32.74 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$19.62 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$599.3 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 63.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 32.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Antananarivo.
Also ranks #1 in female labour force participation · #1 in lending interest rate · #2 in labour force participation rate.
#2 Nigeria
Nigeria ranks #2 on this list with 80.7% of female population 15+.
- Capital
- Abuja
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 237.53 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$290.79 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,224 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 54.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 63.8% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt.
Also ranks #1 in under-5 mortality rate · #1 in maternal mortality ratio · #1 in children out of school (primary).
#3 Tanzania
Tanzania ranks #3 on this list with 80.3% of female population 15+.
- Capital
- Dodoma
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 70.55 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$90.14 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,319 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.2 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 36.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Dar es Salaam.
Also ranks #4 in labour force participation rate · #4 in female labour force participation · #5 in livestock production index.
#4 Burundi
Burundi ranks #4 on this list with 79.5% of female population 15+.
- Capital
- Gitega
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 14.39 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$3.36 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$233.8 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 63.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 25.7% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in prevalence of stunting (under-5) · #3 in forest rents share of gdp · #3 in real effective exchange rate index.
#5 Mozambique
Mozambique ranks #5 on this list with 77.1% of female population 15+.
- Capital
- Maputo
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 35.63 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$22.34 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$626.9 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 63.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 37.2% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Maputo, Matola.
Also ranks #2 in poverty headcount ratio · #3 in income share of richest 10% · #4 in debt service share of exports.
#6 Uganda
Uganda ranks #6 on this list with 75.6% of female population 15+.
- Capital
- Kampala
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 51.39 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$61.99 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,206 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 68.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 31.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Kampala.
Also ranks #6 in renewable energy share · #6 in refugee population by asylum · #7 in agricultural land share.
#7 Benin
Benin ranks #7 on this list with 75.2% of female population 15+.
- Capital
- Porto-Novo
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 14.81 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$24.57 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,658 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 61 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 53.4% of population (2025)
Also ranks #8 in maternal mortality ratio · #10 in female labour force participation · #10 in livestock production index.
#8 Eritrea
Eritrea ranks #8 on this list with 72.8% of female population 15+.
- Capital
- Asmara
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 3.61 million people (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 68.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 34.5% of population (2025)
- International tourist arrivals
- 142,000 arrivals (2016)
- CO2 emissions per person
- 0.22 t CO2e per person (2024)
Also ranks #5 in time to start a business (days) · #9 in refugee population by origin · #12 in female labour force participation.
#9 Niger
Niger ranks #9 on this list with 72.8% of female population 15+.
- Capital
- Niamey
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 27.92 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$21.65 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$775.4 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 61.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 18.4% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Niamey.
Also ranks #1 in agriculture value added share of gdp · #2 in under-5 mortality rate · #3 in population ages 0-14 share.
#10 Angola
Angola ranks #10 on this list with 72.2% of female population 15+.
- Capital
- Luanda
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 39.04 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$122.17 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$3,130 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 64.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 71.5% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Luanda, Quilamba Quiaxi.
Also ranks #4 in gini index · #4 in oil rents share of gdp · #5 in income share of richest 10%.
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Female labour force participation: each country's latest value (2020–2025), ranked from highest to lowest.
Source: The World Bank, indicator SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.
The World Bank: Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+) (modeled ILO estimate): ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO) (via World Development Indicators)
Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Values are shown as published. Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.