Countries Ranked by Female labour force participation in 1990
Female labour force participation for each country in 1990, ranked from highest to lowest. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
In 1990, Burundi ranks #1 with 90.5% of female population 15+. Mozambique is second with 86.8% of female population 15+, 4.2% behind. The top five are Burundi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Madagascar and Solomon Islands. The median across all 187 is 47.9% of female population 15+; Iraq is last at 8.51% of female population 15+.
- #1
- Burundi · 90.5% of female population 15+
- Median
- 47.9% of female population 15+
- Coverage
- 187 countries
- Data year
- 1990
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
Showing the top 100 of 187. Premium downloads the full list as CSV or JSON.
About the top 10
#1 Burundi
Burundi ranks #1 on this list with 90.5% 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.
#2 Mozambique
Mozambique ranks #2 on this list with 86.8% 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.
#3 Tanzania
Tanzania ranks #3 on this list with 84.1% 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 Madagascar
Madagascar ranks #4 on this list with 83.9% 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.
#5 Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands ranks #5 on this list with 82% of female population 15+.
- Capital
- Honiara
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 838,650 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.75 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$2,086 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 70.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 31.3% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in forest rents share of gdp · #2 in female labour force participation · #3 in labour force participation rate.
#6 Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso ranks #6 on this list with 79.4% of female population 15+.
- Capital
- Ouagadougou
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 24.08 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$27.63 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,148 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 61.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 28.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Ouagadougou.
Also ranks #7 in mineral rents share of gdp · #9 in children out of school (primary) · #11 in under-5 mortality rate.
#7 Malawi
Malawi ranks #7 on this list with 78.4% of female population 15+.
- Capital
- Lilongwe
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 22.22 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$14.92 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$671.5 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 17.6% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in school enrolment (primary) · #3 in pupil-teacher ratio (primary) · #3 in poverty headcount ratio.
#8 Cameroon
Cameroon ranks #8 on this list with 77.6% of female population 15+.
- Capital
- Yaoundé
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 29.88 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$58.93 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,972 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 64 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 55.7% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Douala, Yaoundé, Garoua.
Also ranks #10 in pm2.5 air pollution exposure · #11 in pupil-teacher ratio (primary) · #15 in age dependency ratio (young).
#9 Cambodia
Cambodia ranks #9 on this list with 77.5% of female population 15+.
- Capital
- Phnom Penh
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 17.85 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$51.27 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$2,872 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 70.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 41.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Phnom Penh.
Also ranks #3 in time to start a business (days) · #5 in manufacturing value added share of gdp · #6 in labour force participation rate.
#10 Korea, Dem. People's Rep.
Korea, Dem. People's Rep. ranks #10 on this list with 76.6% of female population 15+.
- Capital
- Pyongyang
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 26.57 million people (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 73.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 64.2% of population (2025)
- CO2 emissions per person
- 2.5 t CO2e per person (2024)
- Currency
- North Korean won
Largest cities: Pyongyang.
Also ranks #2 in hospital beds per 10,000 · #3 in armed forces personnel · #6 in female labour force participation.
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 for each country in 1990, 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.