Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Guatemala
Guatemala: Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 was 49.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Guatemala, 1964–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Guatemala stood at 49.7%.
That represents a change of down 5.1% on the previous year and up 22.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Guatemala peaked at 52.3% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 13.0%, in 1964.
Guatemala ranks 125th of 194 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 30 years of available data.
Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Guatemala, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 13.0% | — |
| 1973 | 14.2% | +9.7% |
| 1978 | 13.8% | -3.5% |
| 1979 | 14.2% | +2.9% |
| 1980 | 14.3% | +1.2% |
| 1981 | 13.8% | -3.6% |
| 1985 | 14.1% | +2.0% |
| 1987 | 27.5% | +95.4% |
| 1989 | 28.4% | +3.3% |
| 1994 | 18.4% | -35.4% |
| 1999 | 23.2% | +26.6% |
| 2000 | 45.6% | +96.2% |
| 2002 | 46.8% | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 48.3% | +3.3% |
| 2004 | 42.4% | -12.1% |
| 2006 | 47.4% | +11.7% |
| 2010 | 42.0% | -11.4% |
| 2011 | 40.3% | -4.1% |
| 2012 | 45.6% | +13.1% |
| 2013 | 40.3% | -11.5% |
| 2014 | 40.6% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 38.9% | -4.2% |
| 2016 | 40.1% | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 39.2% | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 39.1% | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 37.8% | -3.2% |
| 2021 | 43.2% | +14.2% |
| 2022 | 41.5% | -3.9% |
| 2023 | 52.3% | +26.0% |
| 2024 | 49.7% | -5.1% |
Guatemala compared with similar countries
- Guatemala's 49.7% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 52.2%, 95% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Guatemala's 49.7% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 53.7%, 93% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Guatemala 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | +96.2% | 23.2% | 45.6% |
| 1987 | +95.4% | 14.1% | 27.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 13.0% | 13.0% | 13.0% | 1 |
| 1970s | 14.1% | 13.8% | 14.2% | 3 |
| 1980s | 19.6% | 13.8% | 28.4% | 5 |
| 1990s | 20.8% | 18.4% | 23.2% | 2 |
| 2000s | 46.1% | 42.4% | 48.3% | 5 |
| 2010s | 40.4% | 37.8% | 45.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.7% | 41.5% | 52.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Guatemala
- 122 Kuwait 49.9% compare
- 123 Philippines 49.9% compare
- 124 South Africa 49.8% compare
- 126 Croatia 49.4% compare
- 127 Bulgaria 49.3% compare
- 128 French Polynesia 49.1% compare
More work & labour data for Guatemala
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.3404 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.3121 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.3683 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.6261 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.73 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 18,121 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 8,847 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 13,041 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 12,871 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 25,912 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Guatemala?
- Female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 in Guatemala was 49.7% in 2024, 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 Guatemala?
- The highest recorded value was 52.3% in 2023.
- What is the lowest female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 recorded in Guatemala?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.0% in 1964.
- How does Guatemala rank for female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025?
- Guatemala ranks 125th out of 194 countries with data for 2024.
- Is female labor force participation rate: 1980 vs. 2025 rising or falling in Guatemala?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Guatemala 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 — 30 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.