Egypt, Arab Rep.: Employment to population ratio, 15+, female (%) (national estimate)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Egypt, Arab Rep.'s employment to population ratio, 15+, female (%) (national estimate) rose 5.54 percentage points on 2023 (from 15.46% to 20.99%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1984 to 2023), the average change was −0.62 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 2.48 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.5 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 10.98 percentage points in 1983 and the biggest yearly fall was 6.05 percentage points in 2000. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains less than 1% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Egypt, Arab Rep. had the 17th highest value of the 20 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Egypt, Arab Rep. in the 2024 ranking

• Malawi — 14th of 20: 36.73%
• South Africa — 15th of 20: 32.63%
• Sri Lanka — 16th of 20: 27.71%
• Kosovo — 18th of 20: 18.39%
• Jordan — 19th of 20: 13.23%
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 20th of 20: 12.09%

What this measures

Employment to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed.

Limitations: Data on employment by status are drawn from labor force surveys and household surveys, supplemented by official estimates and censuses for a small group of countries. The labor force survey is the most comprehensive source for internationally comparable employment, but there are still some limitations for comparing data across countries and over time even within a country. Comparability of employment ratios across countries is affected by variations in definitions of employment and population. The biggest difference results from the age range used to define labor force activity. The population base for employment ratios can also vary.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 43 values

Employment to population ratio, 15+, female (%) (national estimate) in nearby economies

• Algeria — 13.5% (2017)
• Bahrain — 42.01% (2015)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 12.09% (2024)
• Israel — 57.79% (2025)
• Jordan — 13.23% (2024)
• Kuwait — 46.98% (2016)
• Malta — 57.55% (2025)
• Morocco — 16.4% (2022)
• Oman

More social protection & labor data for Egypt, Arab Rep.

• Net migration — -57,305 (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum — 220,033 (2025)
• Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate) — 5.95% (2024)
• Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+) (national estimate) — 23.83% (2024)
• Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) (national estimate) — 33.58% (2024)
• Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) (national estimate) — 70.96% (2024)
• Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) (national estimate) — 47.96% (2024)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Egypt, Arab Rep.'s employment to population ratio, 15+, female (%) (national estimate)?

20.99% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1973?

It is up 16.65 percentage points from 4.35% in 1973. The highest value was 27.42% in 1989 and the lowest 3.8% in 1982.

How does Egypt, Arab Rep. rank?

17th highest of 20 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in employment to population ratio, 15+, female (%) (national estimate) unusual for Egypt, Arab Rep.?

In 2024, Egypt, Arab Rep.'s employment to population ratio, 15+, female (%) (national estimate) rose 5.54 percentage points on 2023 (from 15.46% to 20.99%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1984 to 2023), the average change was −0.62 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 2.48 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.5 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SL.EMP.TOTL.SP.FE.NE.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: September 28, 2026 Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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