Countries With the Fastest Decline in Female labour force participation (5-Year Change)
Change in Female labour force participation over the five years to each country's latest year, in points (a share or rate is not shown as a % of itself). Only countries that fell are listed. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Afghanistan fell the most: by 11.4 pts, from 16.5% of female population 15+ to 5.09% of female population 15+ in the five years to 2025. Honduras is second (−7.45 pts), followed by Sudan (−6.45 pts). 50 countries fell over that period; the median change among them was −1.2 pts.
- #1
- Afghanistan · −11.4 pts
- Median
- −1.2 pts
- Coverage
- 50 countries
- Data year
- 2025
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | From | To | 5-year change (points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Afghanistan | 16.5 | 5.09 | −11.4 pts |
| 2 | Honduras | 47 | 39.6 | −7.45 pts |
| 3 | Sudan | 20.9 | 14.5 | −6.45 pts |
| 4 | Bhutan | 63 | 56.7 | −6.3 pts |
| 5 | Lebanon | 28.5 | 22.2 | −6.24 pts |
| 6 | Burkina Faso | 69.5 | 64.1 | −5.38 pts |
| 7 | United Arab Emirates | 58.2 | 53 | −5.15 pts |
| 8 | Malawi | 63.1 | 58.2 | −4.95 pts |
| 9 | Mongolia | 56 | 51.5 | −4.59 pts |
| 10 | Samoa | 35.2 | 30.7 | −4.47 pts |
| 11 | Myanmar | 44.7 | 40.9 | −3.78 pts |
| 12 | Azerbaijan | 64.4 | 60.8 | −3.62 pts |
| 13 | Armenia | 54.3 | 51.1 | −3.26 pts |
| 14 | Haiti | 61.4 | 58.3 | −3.03 pts |
| 15 | Ghana | 58 | 55.3 | −2.69 pts |
| 16 | Costa Rica | 48.6 | 46 | −2.63 pts |
| 17 | Ukraine | 50.1 | 47.7 | −2.33 pts |
| 18 | Cuba | 42.3 | 40 | −2.32 pts |
| 19 | New Caledonia | 53.4 | 51.1 | −2.31 pts |
| 20 | Hong Kong SAR, China | 53.7 | 51.8 | −1.92 pts |
| 21 | French Polynesia | 48.3 | 46.6 | −1.72 pts |
| 22 | Bangladesh | 40.3 | 38.6 | −1.67 pts |
| 23 | Trinidad and Tobago | 49.3 | 47.8 | −1.55 pts |
| 24 | Cameroon | 58.1 | 56.6 | −1.46 pts |
| 25 | Channel Islands | 50.5 | 49.2 | −1.28 pts |
| 26 | Belarus | 57.9 | 56.8 | −1.12 pts |
| 27 | Panama | 55.9 | 54.9 | −0.996 pts |
| 28 | Morocco | 20.7 | 19.7 | −0.992 pts |
| 29 | Kazakhstan | 63.6 | 62.6 | −0.958 pts |
| 30 | United Kingdom | 58.3 | 57.3 | −0.944 pts |
| 31 | Romania | 42.7 | 41.8 | −0.935 pts |
| 32 | South Sudan | 71.3 | 70.4 | −0.893 pts |
| 33 | Ethiopia | 59.3 | 58.5 | −0.841 pts |
| 34 | Slovenia | 53.1 | 52.3 | −0.808 pts |
| 35 | Chad | 48.1 | 47.3 | −0.766 pts |
| 36 | Sri Lanka | 31.7 | 31 | −0.671 pts |
| 37 | Latvia | 55.8 | 55.2 | −0.596 pts |
| 38 | China | 59.7 | 59.1 | −0.563 pts |
| 39 | Macao SAR, China | 63.7 | 63.1 | −0.557 pts |
| 40 | Viet Nam | 69.1 | 68.6 | −0.544 pts |
| 41 | Switzerland | 62.6 | 62.2 | −0.413 pts |
| 42 | Lesotho | 48.5 | 48.1 | −0.398 pts |
| 43 | Norway | 62.5 | 62.1 | −0.395 pts |
| 44 | Yemen, Rep. | 4.9 | 4.66 | −0.236 pts |
| 45 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 20.9 | 20.7 | −0.192 pts |
| 46 | Austria | 55.2 | 55.1 | −0.165 pts |
| 47 | Thailand | 59.1 | 59 | −0.143 pts |
| 48 | Vanuatu | 53.4 | 53.3 | −0.131 pts |
| 49 | Russian Federation | 54.6 | 54.5 | −0.084 pts |
| 50 | Brunei Darussalam | 54.5 | 54.4 | −0.036 pts |
About the top 10
#1 Afghanistan
Afghanistan ranks #1 on this list with −11.4 pts.
- Capital
- Kabul
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 43.84 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$17.78 billion (2024)
- GDP per person
- US$416.9 (2024)
- Life expectancy
- 66.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 25.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Kabul.
Also ranks #1 in refugee population by origin · #4 in health expenditure share of gdp · #6 in agriculture value added share of gdp.
#2 Honduras
Honduras ranks #2 on this list with −7.45 pts.
- Capital
- Tegucigalpa
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 11.01 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$39.6 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$3,598 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 73 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 59.3% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Tegucigalpa.
Also ranks #6 in deposit interest rate · #10 in gini index · #11 in homicide rate.
#3 Sudan
Sudan ranks #3 on this list with −6.45 pts.
- Capital
- Khartoum
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 51.66 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$60.16 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,165 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 66.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 34.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Khartoum, Omdurman.
Also ranks #2 in inflation rate · #4 in children out of school (primary) · #5 in refugee population by origin.
#4 Bhutan
Bhutan ranks #4 on this list with −6.3 pts.
- Capital
- Thimphu
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 796,680 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$3.58 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$4,493 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 73.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 43.4% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in gross capital formation rate · #4 in water resources per capita · #4 in protected terrestrial area share.
#5 Lebanon
Lebanon ranks #5 on this list with −6.24 pts.
- Capital
- Beirut
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 5.85 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$25.97 billion (2024)
- GDP per person
- US$4,473 (2024)
- Life expectancy
- 77.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 91% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Beirut.
Also ranks #1 in official exchange rate · #2 in smoking prevalence · #7 in refugee population by asylum.
#6 Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso ranks #6 on this list with −5.38 pts.
- 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 United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates ranks #7 on this list with −5.15 pts.
- Capital
- Abu Dhabi
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 11.51 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$552.32 billion (2024)
- GDP per person
- US$50,274 (2024)
- Life expectancy
- 83.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 86% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah.
Also ranks #1 in population growth rate · #1 in internet users share · #2 in male population share.
#8 Malawi
Malawi ranks #8 on this list with −4.95 pts.
- 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.
#9 Mongolia
Mongolia ranks #9 on this list with −4.59 pts.
- Capital
- Ulaanbaatar
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 3.57 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$25.37 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$7,108 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 72.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 71.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Ulaanbaatar.
Also ranks #3 in mineral rents share of gdp · #4 in bank branches per 100,000 adults · #5 in hospital beds per 10,000.
#10 Samoa
Samoa ranks #10 on this list with −4.47 pts.
- Capital
- Apia
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 219,310 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.29 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$5,873 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 71.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 17.5% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in rural population share · #4 in diabetes prevalence · #16 in age dependency ratio.
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Change in Female labour force participation over the five years to each country's latest year, in points (a share or rate is not shown as a % of itself). Only countries that fell are listed.
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 (changes are computed from the published values). Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.