Female employment rate in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico: Female employment rate was 33.3% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Female employment rate in Puerto Rico, 1976–2020
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, female employment rate in Puerto Rico stood at 33.3%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 11.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female employment rate in Puerto Rico peaked at 34.2% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 22.1%, in 1983.
That places Puerto Rico 148th out of 172 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Female employment rate in Puerto Rico, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 22.8% | — |
| 1977 | 23.7% | +3.6% |
| 1978 | 24.3% | +2.6% |
| 1979 | 24.8% | +2.3% |
| 1981 | 24.8% | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 24.5% | -1.2% |
| 1983 | 22.1% | -9.7% |
| 1984 | 22.6% | +2.4% |
| 1985 | 23.6% | +4.3% |
| 1986 | 24.2% | +2.4% |
| 1987 | 25.4% | +4.9% |
| 1988 | 28.1% | +10.7% |
| 1990 | 29.6% | +5.6% |
| 1991 | 29.8% | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 29.1% | -2.4% |
| 1993 | 29.7% | +2.2% |
| 1995 | 30.6% | +2.9% |
| 1996 | 31.6% | +3.2% |
| 1997 | 31.6% | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 31.4% | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 31.4% | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 32.0% | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 32.4% | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 33.0% | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 33.4% | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 34.0% | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 34.2% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 33.6% | -1.9% |
| 2008 | 32.9% | -1.9% |
| 2010 | 29.8% | -9.5% |
| 2011 | 29.0% | -2.7% |
| 2012 | 29.5% | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 28.9% | -2.0% |
| 2020 | 33.3% | +15.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 23.9% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 4 |
| 1980s | 24.4% | 22.1% | 28.1% | 8 |
| 1990s | 30.5% | 29.1% | 31.6% | 9 |
| 2000s | 33.2% | 32.0% | 34.2% | 8 |
| 2010s | 29.3% | 28.9% | 29.8% | 4 |
| 2020s | 33.3% | 33.3% | 33.3% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Puerto Rico
More work & labour data for Puerto Rico
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -2.24 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 142.52 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.36 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -2.19 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -2.28 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 521.69 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 995.62 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.5786 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 473.93 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 3,139 1000 No (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female employment rate in Puerto Rico?
- Female employment rate in Puerto Rico was 33.3% in 2020, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female employment rate recorded in Puerto Rico?
- The highest recorded value was 34.2% in 2006.
- What is the lowest female employment rate recorded in Puerto Rico?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.1% in 1983.
- How does Puerto Rico rank for female employment rate?
- Puerto Rico ranks 148th out of 172 countries with data for 2020.
- Is female employment rate rising or falling in Puerto Rico?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Puerto Rico data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Female employment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the female working-age population who are employed. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.