Economic Survey projects 55% female labour force participation by 2050

India’s vision for Viksit Bharat 2047 places women at the core of the national development agenda, with progress explicitly envisioned to be women-led, according to the Economic Survey 2026. The Survey noted that raising female labour force participation to around 55% by the 2050s could be critical for sustaining a high annual GDP growth trajectory, underlining the macroeconomic importance of gender inclusion.

“India’s vision for Viksit Bharat 2047 places women at the core of the national development agenda, with progress envisioned to be women-led. Estimates suggest that increasing participation to around 55% by 2050 could be critical for maintaining a high annual GDP growth trajectory,” the report highlighted.

While women’s participation in paid work has been rising gradually, the Survey flagged a persistent imbalance driven by unequal domestic responsibilities and limited care infrastructure. It stressed the need for policies that promote shared household responsibilities, affordable childcare and elder-care support, outlining key policy lessons to improve the female labour force participation rate (FLFPR).

Data from the latest ‘Time Use Survey’ and Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) showed an improvement in participation for both genders. In 2024, 75% of men and 25% of women in the 15–59 age group participated in employment and related activities during a 24-hour reference period, up from 70.9% and 21.8%, respectively, in 2019. However, women continue to shoulder a disproportionate share of unpaid work.

The Survey highlighted that women remain the predominant caregivers. About 41% of women aged 15–59 years were engaged in caregiving activities for household members, compared with 21.4% of men. Women spent nearly 140 minutes a day on caregiving, almost double the 74 minutes spent by men. More broadly, women spent an average of 363 minutes daily on unpaid activities, while men spent about 123 minutes, resulting in men spending significantly more time in paid work.

As a result, women face a pronounced dual burden of paid and unpaid work, with their combined work time exceeding that of men, even though their participation in paid employment remains lower. The Survey noted that this dual burden partly explains women’s preference for flexible work arrangements, self-employment, and entrepreneurship.

Placing employment outcomes in a broader macro context, the Survey reiterated that job creation is a downstream outcome of a stable and growing economy. India’s resilient growth, supported by tax reforms and deregulation measures introduced over the past year, has translated in improving labour market indicators, including higher participation and falling unemployment.

PLFS data shows that 56.2 crore people aged 15 years and above were employed in Q2FY26, reflecting the creation of 8.7 lakh new jobs over the previous quarter. Employment patterns remain diverse, with rural employment dominated by agriculture and self-employment, where women’s participation is relatively higher, while urban employment is concentrated in services, led by regular wage and salaried jobs.

The Survey emphasised that enabling women to participate more fully in the workforce—by reducing unpaid work burdens and expanding care infrastructure—will be central to achieving inclusive, sustainable growth on the path to Viksit Bharat 2047.