India's population boom leads to decline in female employment

India's population is set to become the world's largest, but the number of women in the workforce has been shrinking for years, posing a challenge for the country's economic ambitions. Experts say a national jobs crisis and cultural beliefs that see women as primary caregivers are to blame. The women's employment rate peaked at 35% in 2004 and fell to around 25% in 2022. Without more women participating in the labor market, India risks a demographic liability. A 2018 McKinsey report estimated that India could add $552 billion to its GDP by increasing its female workforce participation rate by 10%.