Syrian Arab Republic: Labor force, female (% of total labor force)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Syrian Arab Republic's labor force, female (% of total labor force) fell 0.04 percentage points on 2024 (from 17.42% to 17.38%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −0.09 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.88 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 2.05 percentage points in 2000 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.52 percentage points in 1996. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 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 2025, Syrian Arab Republic had the 176th highest value of the 182 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 Syrian Arab Republic in the 2025 ranking

• Jordan — 173rd of 182: 19.32%
• Saudi Arabia — 174th of 182: 18.9%
• Qatar — 175th of 182: 18.01%
• Algeria — 177th of 182: 17%
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 178th of 182: 16.89%
• Oman — 179th of 182: 14.86%

What this measures

Female labor force as a percentage of the total show the extent to which women are active in the labor force. Labor force comprises people ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.

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

All 36 values

Labor force, female (% of total labor force) in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 6.78% (2025)
• Algeria — 17% (2025)
• Bahrain — 21.28% (2025)
• Djibouti — 31.03% (2025)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 20.64% (2025)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 16.89% (2025)
• Iraq — 13.26% (2025)
• Israel — 48.26% (2025)
• Jordan — 19.32% (2025)
• Kuwait — 23.63% (2025)

More social protection & labor data for Syrian Arab Republic

• Net migration — 421,693 (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin — 4.87 million (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum — 9,885 (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 8.15% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 38.97% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 23.82% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 13.64% (2025)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Syrian Arab Republic's labor force, female (% of total labor force)?

17.38% in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1990?

It is down 0.94 percentage points from 18.32% in 1990. The highest value was 20.76% in 1995 and the lowest 15.19% in 2010.

How does Syrian Arab Republic rank?

176th highest of 182 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in labor force, female (% of total labor force) unusual for Syrian Arab Republic?

In 2025, Syrian Arab Republic's labor force, female (% of total labor force) fell 0.04 percentage points on 2024 (from 17.42% to 17.38%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −0.09 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.88 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SL.TLF.TOTL.FE.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database; United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division; Staff estimates, World Bank (WB) 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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