Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Brazil
Brazil: Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 was 53.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Brazil, 1960–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Brazil stood at 53.7%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Brazil peaked at 58.1% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 18.4%, in 1960.
Brazil ranks 106th of 194 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 43 years of available data.
Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Brazil, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 18.4% | — |
| 1970 | 21.1% | +14.6% |
| 1973 | 37.2% | +75.8% |
| 1976 | 32.4% | -12.9% |
| 1980 | 30.1% | -7.1% |
| 1985 | 41.1% | +36.7% |
| 1986 | 41.1% | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 43.2% | +4.9% |
| 1988 | 43.3% | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 44.4% | +2.5% |
| 1990 | 45.0% | +1.2% |
| 1991 | 44.0% | -2.1% |
| 1992 | 53.2% | +20.8% |
| 1993 | 52.5% | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 50.2% | -4.4% |
| 1996 | 49.0% | -2.5% |
| 1997 | 50.0% | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 50.8% | +1.5% |
| 1999 | 52.1% | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 54.4% | +4.5% |
| 2002 | 55.9% | +2.8% |
| 2003 | 56.0% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 56.9% | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 58.1% | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 57.8% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 57.6% | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 57.2% | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 57.7% | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 54.7% | -5.2% |
| 2012 | 52.5% | -4.1% |
| 2013 | 52.4% | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 52.4% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 53.0% | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 53.3% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 54.2% | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 54.4% | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 55.2% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 50.2% | -9.0% |
| 2021 | 52.4% | +4.2% |
| 2022 | 53.7% | +2.6% |
| 2023 | 53.1% | -1.2% |
| 2024 | 53.5% | +0.7% |
| 2025 | 53.7% | +0.3% |
Brazil compared with similar countries
- Brazil's 53.7% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 52.2%, 1.0× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Brazil's 53.7% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 53.7%, 1.0× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Brazil changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | +75.8% | 21.1% | 37.2% |
| 1985 | +36.7% | 30.1% | 41.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 18.4% | 18.4% | 18.4% | 1 |
| 1970s | 30.2% | 21.1% | 37.2% | 3 |
| 1980s | 40.5% | 30.1% | 44.4% | 6 |
| 1990s | 49.6% | 44.0% | 53.2% | 9 |
| 2000s | 56.9% | 54.4% | 58.1% | 9 |
| 2010s | 53.6% | 52.4% | 55.2% | 9 |
| 2020s | 52.8% | 50.2% | 53.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Brazil
More work & labour data for Brazil
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.7328 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.7065 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.7581 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.74 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.1001 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 215,063 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 17,625 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 82,304 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 81,060 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 163,364 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Brazil?
- Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Brazil was 53.7% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 recorded in Brazil?
- The highest recorded value was 58.1% in 2005.
- What is the lowest female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 recorded in Brazil?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.4% in 1960.
- How does Brazil rank for female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025?
- Brazil ranks 106th out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
- Is female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 rising or falling in Brazil?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Brazil 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 labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 43 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the female working-age population who are economically active (employed or unemployed). Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.