Female Workforce Participation in India
Female workforce participation in India's economy has witnessed a significant increase from 33.9% in 2022 to 40% in 2025, driven largely by rural women. However, challenges like the gender pay gap, the concentration of women in agriculture, and unpaid work persist.
Key Statistics and Insights
- Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR):
- The national female LFPR for those aged 15 years and above is at 40% in 2025, up from 33.9% in 2022.
- Rural women's LFPR increased from 37.5% to 45.9% during the same period.
- The male LFPR stood at 79.1% in 2025, with a persistent gap of nearly 40 percentage points compared to females.
- Sectoral Concentration:
- 72.7% of rural female workers are engaged in agriculture.
- Urban female LFPR was 27.7% in 2025, a slight increase from 2022.
- Wage Disparity:
- In rural areas, male casual laborers earn ₹435 per day compared to ₹305 for females.
- In urban areas, men earn ₹552 per day, while women earn ₹363, indicating a 34% pay gap.
- Women spend an average of 289 minutes daily on unpaid domestic work, while men spend 88 minutes.
- Unemployment:
- Urban young women faced an unemployment rate of 18.9% in 2025, compared to 11.8% for young men.
- Entrepreneurship:
- Female-headed proprietary establishments constituted 26.2% of all proprietary enterprises in 2023-24, up from 24% in 2021-22.
- Bihar saw female-headed manufacturing enterprises rise dramatically from 31.2% to 63% over three years.
- Investment and Financial Participation:
- Women accounted for 24.7% of investors in the financial year 2025-26.
- Female demat account holders surged by 397.24% between 2021 and 2025, but they still hold only 19.8% of all demat accounts.
