Women’s labor force participation in Egypt rises to 20.7% in 2025 | CAPMAS

According to the preliminary results of the 2025 Labour Force Survey, women’s participation in the labor force rose significantly to 20.7%, compared with 16.9% in 2024, among the population aged 15 years and above.

Male labor force participation also recorded a slight increase, reaching 70.6%, up from 70.3% in 2024, according to a report released by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization (CAPMAS).

At the same time, the female unemployment rate declined to 15.3%, compared with 17.1% in 2024. Similarly, the male unemployment rate fell to 3.7%, down from 4.2% in the previous year.

The employment rate for women (aged 15 and above) increased to 17.5%, compared with 14.0% in 2024. The male employment rate also rose slightly to 67.9%, up from 67.4% in the previous year.

In terms of job stability, 85.0% of employed women held permanent jobs, compared with 83.8% in 2024. Among men, the share of those in permanent employment increased significantly to 70.2%, compared with 61.4% the previous year.

Regarding social protection, 53.3% of employed women were enrolled in social insurance, compared with 34.3% of men. Likewise, 51.6% of women had health insurance coverage, compared with 29.9% of men.

Occupational distribution shows that 25.8% of employed women work as professionals and in scientific occupations, while 25.2% are employed in agriculture and fishing.

 Around 18.7% work in services and sales, 8.5% in technical occupations and as associate professionals, and 7.2% in clerical roles. The smallest share, 2.8%, is employed in craft and related trades.

Women’s political representation has also increased. In 2025, women held approximately 27% of the seats in the House of Representatives, totaling 160 seats out of 568. These seats were distributed as follows: 142 seats through party lists, 4 seats through individual elections, and 14 seats through presidential appointments.