Key Statistics on Education and Dropouts
Dropout rates among the 5–29 age group peak at 55.4% for those aged 16–24 (53.6% for males, 57.4% for females), according to Women and Men in India (2020, 22nd Issue). The Gross Enrolment Ratio for girls in higher education remains low at 29.1% (Government of India, Ministry of Education, July 2023).​

Gender Gaps in Labour Force Participation
India’s female labour force participation rate (LFPR) stood at just 26.97% in 2018, far below the global average of 48.47% (World Bank, 2018). By April 2025, rural female LFPR (ages 15+) reached 38.2% and urban 25.7%, compared to 79.0% and 75.3% for males, respectively (Periodic Labour Force Survey, Monthly Bulletin).​

Rising Self-Employment and Persistent Inequality
Self-employment has surged from 52.2% of workers in 2017–18 to 58.4% in 2023–24 (Economic Survey 2025). Yet women in self-employment earn only about a third of men’s income, underscoring deep gender disparities in earnings and economic opportunity despite growing female participation.​