Key facts
- Women's share of the Afghan labour market has fallen to 5.1% in 2026.
- Female labour force participation decreased from 16.5% in 2020.
- Taliban restrictions on education and employment are cited as the cause for the decline.
- Afghanistan has the second-lowest level of female employment globally.
- The number of women's businesses has increased tenfold since the Taliban takeover.
- Overall Afghan employment grew by 14% from a 2022 low.
The portion of women in Afghanistan's workforce has fallen to just 5.1% since the Taliban takeover, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). This represents a significant decline from 16.5% in 2020, with the ILO calling for measures to address their severe exclusion from economic activity.
The report attributes this sharp decrease to Taliban restrictions that curtail women's education and employment opportunities. Afghanistan now has the second-lowest level of female employment globally, surpassed only by Yemen.
In contrast to the shrinking female workforce, male employment has expanded rapidly. However, the overall increase in Afghan employment by 14% from a 2022 low, reaching 8.5 million in 2026, has not kept pace with rapid population growth, partly due to the return of Afghans from neighboring countries.
Despite the exclusion from many professions, the number of women's businesses has increased tenfold since the Taliban takeover, according to the U.N. Development Programme.