Upper middle income Countries 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
Moldova ranks #1 with 72.3% of female population 15+. Viet Nam is second with 68.6% of female population 15+, 5.5% behind. The top five are Moldova, Viet Nam, Peru, Botswana and Jamaica. The median across all 53 is 51.1% of female population 15+; Iraq is last at 10.9% of female population 15+. Moldova's figure has risen 32% since 2001 (54.8% of female population 15+ to 72.3% of female population 15+ in 2025).
- #1
- Moldova · 72.3% of female population 15+
- Median
- 51.1% of female population 15+
- Coverage
- 53 Upper middle income countries
- Data year
- 2025
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | Female labour force participation (% of female population 15+) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moldova | 72.3 | 2025 |
| 2 | Viet Nam | 68.6 | 2025 |
| 3 | Peru | 65 | 2025 |
| 4 | Botswana | 63.7 | 2025 |
| 5 | Jamaica | 63 | 2025 |
| 6 | Kazakhstan | 62.6 | 2025 |
| 7 | St. Lucia | 62 | 2025 |
| 8 | Azerbaijan | 60.8 | 2025 |
| 9 | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 59.2 | 2025 |
| 10 | China | 59.1 | 2025 |
| 11 | Paraguay | 59 | 2025 |
| 12 | Thailand | 59 | 2025 |
| 13 | Albania | 58.6 | 2025 |
| 14 | Belarus | 56.8 | 2025 |
| 15 | Georgia | 56.7 | 2025 |
| 16 | Indonesia | 53.7 | 2025 |
| 17 | Dominican Republic | 53.7 | 2025 |
| 18 | Brazil | 53.4 | 2025 |
| 19 | Serbia | 52.6 | 2025 |
| 20 | Equatorial Guinea | 52.6 | 2025 |
| 21 | Argentina | 52.5 | 2025 |
| 22 | Ecuador | 52.4 | 2025 |
| 23 | Malaysia | 51.6 | 2025 |
| 24 | Colombia | 51.6 | 2025 |
| 25 | Mongolia | 51.5 | 2025 |
| 26 | Montenegro | 51.2 | 2025 |
| 27 | Armenia | 51.1 | 2025 |
| 28 | Philippines | 50.5 | 2025 |
| 29 | Cabo Verde | 50.5 | 2025 |
| 30 | South Africa | 49.9 | 2025 |
| 31 | El Salvador | 49.1 | 2025 |
| 32 | Ukraine | 47.7 | 2021 |
| 33 | Mauritius | 47.5 | 2025 |
| 34 | Mexico | 47.5 | 2025 |
| 35 | Belize | 46.5 | 2025 |
| 36 | Suriname | 44.9 | 2025 |
| 37 | North Macedonia | 42.7 | 2025 |
| 38 | Tonga | 42.3 | 2025 |
| 39 | Gabon | 41.6 | 2025 |
| 40 | Maldives | 40.7 | 2025 |
| 41 | Cuba | 40 | 2025 |
| 42 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 39.2 | 2025 |
| 43 | Fiji | 38.5 | 2025 |
| 44 | Guatemala | 38.3 | 2025 |
| 45 | Turkmenistan | 38.2 | 2025 |
| 46 | Türkiye | 37.1 | 2025 |
| 47 | Libya | 33 | 2025 |
| 48 | Sri Lanka | 31 | 2025 |
| 49 | Samoa | 30.7 | 2025 |
| 50 | Jordan | 16 | 2025 |
| 51 | Algeria | 14.1 | 2025 |
| 52 | Iran, Islamic Rep. | 14 | 2025 |
| 53 | Iraq | 10.9 | 2025 |
About the top 10
#1 Moldova
Moldova ranks #1 on this list with 72.3% of female population 15+.
- Capital
- Chișinău
- Continent
- Europe
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 2.36 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$20.35 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$8,622 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 71.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 43.7% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in real effective exchange rate index · #2 in female population share · #5 in arable land share.
#2 Viet Nam
Viet Nam ranks #2 on this list with 68.6% of female population 15+.
- Capital
- Hanoi
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 101.6 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$514.7 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$5,066 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 74.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 38.8% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Đồng Nai.
Also ranks #3 in official exchange rate · #4 in fish production · #6 in container port traffic.
#3 Peru
Peru ranks #3 on this list with 65% of female population 15+.
- Capital
- Lima
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 34.58 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$334.85 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$9,684 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 77.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 85.6% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Lima, Arequipa.
Also ranks #5 in fish production · #6 in firms using banks to finance investment share · #7 in atms per 100,000 adults.
#4 Botswana
Botswana ranks #4 on this list with 63.7% of female population 15+.
- Capital
- Gaborone
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 2.56 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$19.93 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$7,778 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 69.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 68% of population (2025)
Also ranks #4 in unemployment rate · #4 in hiv prevalence · #5 in youth unemployment rate.
#5 Jamaica
Jamaica ranks #5 on this list with 63% of female population 15+.
- Capital
- Kingston
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 2.84 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$22.71 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$8,003 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 71.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 59.4% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in debt service share of exports · #4 in homicide rate · #6 in immunisation (dpt) rate.
#6 Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan ranks #6 on this list with 62.6% of female population 15+.
- Capital
- Astana
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 20.84 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$306.24 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$14,692 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 74.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 62.4% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Almaty, Shymkent, Astana.
Also ranks #2 in debt service share of exports · #4 in income share of poorest 10% · #6 in protected marine area share.
#7 St. Lucia
St. Lucia ranks #7 on this list with 62% of female population 15+.
- Capital
- Castries
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 180,150 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$2.66 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$14,746 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 72.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 29.1% of population (2025)
Also ranks #9 in homicide rate · #9 in immunisation (dpt) rate · #13 in population ages 15-64 share.
#8 Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan ranks #8 on this list with 60.8% of female population 15+.
- Capital
- Baku
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 10.25 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$75.94 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$7,411 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 74.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 58.6% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Baku.
Also ranks #9 in literacy rate · #9 in electricity access rate · #9 in access to electricity (rural).
#9 St. Vincent and the Grenadines
St. Vincent and the Grenadines ranks #9 on this list with 59.2% of female population 15+.
- Capital
- Kingstown
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 99,924 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.26 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$12,562 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 71.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 48% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in homicide rate · #5 in cereal yield · #6 in youth unemployment rate.
#10 China
China ranks #10 on this list with 59.1% of female population 15+.
- Capital
- Beijing
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 1.41 billion people (2025)
- GDP
- US$19.5 trillion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$13,862 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 78 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 66.3% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Chongqing, Shanghai, Beijing.
Also ranks #1 in urban population · #1 in gdp ppp · #1 in labour force size.
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.