The rural-urban divide in female labour force participation
The Periodic Labour Force Survey 2025 shows a significant rise in female labour force participation in India, jumping from 30% in 2019-20 to 40% in 2025. The growth is notably higher in rural areas compared to urban centers, with specific states showing varying paces of improvement.
Why it matters
Understanding these regional labor trends is critical for policymakers to address gender-based economic disparities and tailor employment strategies to specific state-level needs.
The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2025 reveals a significant increase in the Female Labour Force Participation rate (FLFPR) since 2020, following the COVID-19 pandemic. The overall FLFPR for those aged 15 years and above increased from 30% in 2019-20 to 40% in 2025. The increase was more pronounced in rural areas, where the FLFPR rose from 33% to 45.9%, compared with an increase from 23.3% to 27.7% in urban areas. This substantial rural–urban difference warrants a more granular, State-level analysis of female labour force participation for rural and urban areas, excluding Union Territories and North-Eastern States, to understand how individual States have performed since the pandemic.
The chart below shows the Average Annual Percentage Point (AAPP) change in rural FLFPR for each State between 2019-20 and 2025.
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