Family & Society

How large is Pakistan’s gender gap in employment?

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Answer

Direct answer

PBS’s Labour Force Survey 2024–25 reports labour-force participation of 22.7% for women and 68.7% for men aged 10 and above, a 46-percentage-point gap. These current-standard rates include employed people and those seeking and available for work; they are not employment counts or a married-couple comparison.

The survey’s 19th ICLS definition differs from older totals that include some own-use production. Care responsibilities, safe transport, job availability and other constraints matter; low measured participation does not mean women do no work.

22.7%female labour-force participation, population aged 10+, 2024–25
68.7%male labour-force participation, same definition
Evidence

Sources used

Official Statistics · 2025

LFS 2024–25, Table 15: Labour Force Participation and Unemployment Rates

Pakistan Bureau of Statistics

National and provincial age/sex/area tables. The national headline rates use population aged 10+ and the current 19th ICLS employment definition, not married people only.

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Government Data · Live source

Labour Force Survey 2024–25 and earlier rounds

Pakistan Bureau of Statistics

Official tables and reports. Current 2024–25 tables use the 19th ICLS standard; earlier rounds and legacy-standard totals must be identified separately.

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