A young female population is driving progress in health, education and tourism employment across the GCC.
MUSCAT: The Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf (GCC-Stat) said on Wednesday that Gulf women continue to strengthen their role in the development journey of GCC countries, supported by a young population base and growing participation in the labour market.
In a report, the centre said key indicators highlight the pivotal role of women, particularly in the health, education and tourism sectors, reflecting continued progress in empowerment and sustainable development across GCC countries.
The report noted that the female population in GCC countries grew by 15.8% between 2019 and 2024, reaching around 22.9 million in 2024, with an average annual increase of approximately 625,600 women.
Women aged 15–39 years reached approximately 13.8 million, representing 60.3% of the total female population, while females of working age (15–64 years) totalled around 15.9 million, accounting for 69.5%.
On labour market participation, the centre said the number of employed women in GCC countries increased from 5.7 million in 2020 to 7.3 million in 2025, while the number of employed national women rose from 1.7 million to 2.2 million during the same period.
Female labour force participation reached 39.3% in 2025, while the female unemployment rate stood at 10.5%, and national women accounted for 40.5% of total employed nationals.
Labour force participation rises
The centre added that women’s participation indicators improved between 2020 and 2025, with labour force participation rising by 8%, unemployment falling by 26.1%, and the share of employed national women increasing by 11%.
It also noted that the share of employed women in the government sector rose from 33.3% to 34.8%, while in the private sector it increased from 4.3% to 5.3% over the same period.
In the health and education sectors, the centre said Gulf women continue to play a major role in supporting human development, making up 73.76% of nursing staff, 63.8% of general education teachers, and 41.2% of higher education roles.
In the tourism sector, women accounted for approximately 13.2% of the workforce in 2024, with female employment growing at an average annual rate of 9.5% between 2019 and 2024, reflecting their expanding contribution to one of the GCC’s most promising economic sectors.
