Egypt, Arab Rep.'s unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate) was 11.9% in 2024, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 12.1 percentage points from 24% in 2014.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 11.9% | 2024 |
| Five years earlier | 21.67% | 2019 |
| Ten years earlier | 24% | 2014 |
| Highest | 25.09% | 2005 |
| Lowest | 0.3% | 1973 |
| Average since 2015 | 19.43% | 2015–2024 |
| First recorded | 0.3% | 1973 |
What the numbers say
In 2024, Egypt, Arab Rep.'s unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate) fell 3.43 percentage points on 2023 (from 15.33% to 11.9%).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was −0.24 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.97 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.6 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 6.95 percentage points in 1990 and the biggest yearly fall was 10.29 percentage points in 1983. 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 the straight-line trend is downward, about 1.32 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 91% of the movement over 10 observed years.
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 8th highest value of the 22 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.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Egypt, Arab Rep. | 11.9% | 2024 |
| Lower middle income | 4.65% | 2024 |
Closest to Egypt, Arab Rep. in the 2024 ranking
- Malawi — 5th of 22: 18%
- Iran, Islamic Rep. — 6th of 22: 14.27%
- Montenegro — 7th of 22: 12.32%
- Oman — 9th of 22: 9.7%
- Albania — 10th of 22: 9.09%
- Bahamas, The — 11th of 22: 8.43%
What this measures
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.
Limitations: The criteria for people considered to be seeking work, and the treatment of people temporarily laid off or seeking work for the first time, vary across countries. In many cases it is especially difficult to measure employment and unemployment in agriculture. The timing of a survey can maximize the effects of seasonal unemployment in agriculture. And informal sector employment is difficult to quantify where informal activities are not tracked.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.
All 46 values
| Year | Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 11.9 |
| 2023 | 15.33 |
| 2022 | 18.52 |
| 2021 | 16.09 |
| 2020 | 17.8 |
| 2019 | 21.67 |
| 2018 | 21.44 |
| 2017 | 23.07 |
| 2016 | 23.64 |
| 2015 | 24.81 |
| 2014 |
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate) in nearby economies
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
Questions people ask
- What is Egypt, Arab Rep.'s unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate)?
- 11.9% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1973?
- It is up 11.6 percentage points from 0.3% in 1973. The highest value was 25.09% in 2005 and the lowest 0.3% in 1973.
- How does Egypt, Arab Rep. rank?
- 8th highest of 22 economies with data for 2024.
- Is the latest change in unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate) unusual for Egypt, Arab Rep.?
- In 2024, Egypt, Arab Rep.'s unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate) fell 3.43 percentage points on 2023 (from 15.33% to 11.9%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was −0.24 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.97 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.6 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SL.UEM.TOTL.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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