Female labor force participation rate in Brazil

Brazil: Female labor force participation rate was 53.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
53.7%
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
106th
of 194 countries
All-time high
58.1%
in 2005
All-time low
18.4%
in 1960
Years of data
43
1960–2025

Female labor force participation rate in Brazil, 1960–2025

20304050601960199220251960: 18.4 %1970: 21.1 %1973: 37.2 %1976: 32.4 %1980: 30.1 %1985: 41.1 %1986: 41.1 %1987: 43.2 %1988: 43.3 %1989: 44.4 %1990: 45 %1991: 44 %1992: 53.2 %1993: 52.5 %1995: 50.2 %1996: 49 %1997: 50 %1998: 50.8 %1999: 52.1 %2001: 54.4 %2002: 55.9 %2003: 56 %2004: 56.9 %2005: 58.1 %2006: 57.8 %2007: 57.6 %2008: 57.2 %2009: 57.7 %2011: 54.7 %2012: 52.5 %2013: 52.4 %2014: 52.4 %2015: 53 %2016: 53.3 %2017: 54.2 %2018: 54.4 %2019: 55.2 %2020: 50.2 %2021: 52.4 %2022: 53.7 %2023: 53.1 %2024: 53.5 %2025: 53.7 %

Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2025, female labor force participation rate in Brazil stood at 53.7%.

That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 1.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, female labor force participation rate in Brazil peaked at 58.1% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 18.4%, in 1960.

That places Brazil 106th out of 194 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 43 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 103 Curacao 54.0% compare
  2. 104 Mongolia 54.0% compare
  3. 105 Spain 53.7% compare
  4. 107 France 53.5% compare
  5. 108 Indonesia 53.4% compare
  6. 109 Argentina 53.3% compare
  7. 109 Chile 53.3% compare

See the full ranking of 194 places →

More work & labour data for Brazil

All data for Brazil →

Frequently asked questions

What is female labor force participation rate in Brazil?
Female labor force participation rate 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 recorded in Brazil?
The highest recorded value was 58.1% in 2005.
What is the lowest female labor force participation rate recorded in Brazil?
The lowest recorded value was 18.4% in 1960.
How does Brazil rank for female labor force participation rate?
Brazil ranks 106th out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
Is female labor force participation rate 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. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Female labor force participation rate
Unit
%
Source
Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
194 places, 4,756 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

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.