GCC statistics highlight women’s key role in health, education, tourism

MUSCAT: The Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf (GCC-Stat) affirmed on Wednesday that Gulf women continue to strengthen their presence 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 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.

It noted that the female population in GCC countries grew by 15.8% between 2019 and 2024, reaching approximately 22.9 million in 2024, with an average annual increase of around 625,600 females.

The number of females aged 15–39 years reached approximately 13.8 million, representing 60.3% of the total, while females of working age (15–64 years) reached around 15.9 million, accounting for 69.5%.

Regarding labour market participation, the centre stated that the number of employed females 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 over 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 declining 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 increased from 33.3% to 34.8%, and in the private sector from 4.3% to 5.3% during the same period.

In the health and education sectors, the centre affirmed that Gulf women continue to play an active role in supporting human development, accounting for 73.76% of nursing staff, 63.8% of general education teachers, and 41.2% in higher education.

In the tourism sector, women accounted for approximately 13.2% of the workforce in 2024, with an average annual growth rate of 9.5% in female employment between 2019 and 2024, reflecting their growing contribution to one of the GCC’s promising economic sectors.