Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America & Caribbean: Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) was 51.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Latin America & Caribbean, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Latin America & Caribbean stood at 51.4%.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 52.1% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 42.5%, in 1990.
That places Latin America & Caribbean 28th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Latin America & Caribbean, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 42.5% | — |
| 1991 | 42.8% | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 43.5% | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 44.3% | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 45.0% | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 45.8% | +1.9% |
| 1996 | 45.7% | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 46.8% | +2.3% |
| 1998 | 47.2% | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 47.5% | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 47.6% | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 48.1% | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 48.6% | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 49.1% | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 49.8% | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 50.5% | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 50.8% | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 50.9% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 50.9% | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 51.4% | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 50.9% | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 50.6% | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 50.9% | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 50.7% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 50.5% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 50.8% | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 51.0% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 51.2% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 51.6% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 52.1% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 48.0% | -7.9% |
| 2021 | 50.4% | +5.0% |
| 2022 | 51.2% | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 51.2% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 51.4% | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 51.4% | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 45.1% | 42.5% | 47.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 49.8% | 47.6% | 51.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.0% | 50.5% | 52.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 50.6% | 48.0% | 51.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean
- 25 Burkina Faso 64.1% compare
- 26 Botswana 63.7% compare
- 27 Singapore 63.6% compare
- 28 Macau, China 63.1% compare
- 29 Kenya 63.0% compare
- 30 Jamaica 63.0% compare
- 31 Netherlands 62.7% compare
More work & labour data for Latin America & Caribbean
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 69.3% (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)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 57.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 74.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 68.9% (2025)
- Contributing family workers, male (% of male employment) 2.5% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Latin America & Caribbean was 51.4% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 52.1% in 2019.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 42.5% in 1990.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages)?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 28th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.2%. 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 Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The labor force participation rate is the labor force as a percent of the population ages 15 and older. The labor force is the sum of all persons of working age who are employed and those who are unemployed.