Employment in services (% of total employment) in Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America & Caribbean: Employment in services (% of total employment) was 66.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in services (% of total employment) in Latin America & Caribbean, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Latin America & Caribbean recorded 66.8% for employment in services (% of total employment) in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 3.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in services (% of total employment) in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 66.8% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 55.2%, in 1991.
That places Latin America & Caribbean 11th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in services (% of total employment) in Latin America & Caribbean, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 55.2% | — |
| 1992 | 55.4% | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 55.9% | +1.0% |
| 1994 | 56.6% | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 57.3% | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 57.9% | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 58.0% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 58.8% | +1.5% |
| 1999 | 58.9% | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 59.3% | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 59.7% | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 59.8% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 60.3% | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 60.3% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 60.6% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 61.2% | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 61.6% | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 62.0% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 62.7% | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 63.0% | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 63.4% | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 63.7% | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 63.9% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 64.1% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 64.5% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 64.9% | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 65.1% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 65.3% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 65.8% | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 64.9% | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 64.9% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 65.6% | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 66.2% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 66.6% | +0.5% |
| 2025 | 66.8% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 57.1% | 55.2% | 58.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 60.7% | 59.3% | 62.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 64.4% | 63.0% | 65.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 65.8% | 64.9% | 66.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean
- 8 Bahamas 84.4% compare
- 9 Puerto Rico 84.1% compare
- 10 Israel 84.1% compare
- 11 French Polynesia 83.7% compare
- 12 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 83.2% compare
- 13 Barbados 82.6% compare
- 14 United States Virgin Islands 81.9% compare
More work & labour data for Latin America & Caribbean
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 51.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 74.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 62.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 39.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 55.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 47.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 80.4% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 69.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 57.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 68.9% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in services (% of total employment) in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Employment in services (% of total employment) in Latin America & Caribbean was 66.8% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment in services (% of total employment) recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 66.8% in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment in services (% of total employment) recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 55.2% in 1991.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for employment in services (% of total employment)?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 11th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is employment in services (% of total employment) rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment in services (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Employment is defined as persons of working age who were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period or not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangement. The services sector consists of wholesale and retail trade and restaurants and hotels; transport, storage, and communications; financing, insurance, real estate, and business services; and community, social, and personal services, in accordance with divisions 6-9 (ISIC 2) or categories G-Q (ISIC 3) or categories G-U (ISIC 4).