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 52.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Latin America & Caribbean, 1960–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Latin America & Caribbean recorded 52.2% for labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in 2025.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 2.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 52.5% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 20.2%, in 1960.
Latin America & Caribbean ranks 10th of 24 groups on this measure, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 20.2% | — |
| 1970 | 21.7% | +7.4% |
| 1980 | 29.3% | +35.1% |
| 1988 | 39.3% | +34.0% |
| 1989 | 41.1% | +4.6% |
| 1990 | 37.9% | -7.7% |
| 1991 | 42.7% | +12.5% |
| 1992 | 46.9% | +9.9% |
| 1993 | 46.3% | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 49.2% | +6.5% |
| 1998 | 49.6% | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 50.7% | +2.1% |
| 2001 | 48.9% | -3.6% |
| 2002 | 49.6% | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 50.0% | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 50.6% | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 51.4% | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 51.3% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 50.8% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 51.3% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 52.1% | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 51.3% | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 50.7% | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 51.1% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 50.6% | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 50.9% | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 51.2% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 51.6% | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 51.9% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 52.5% | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 48.1% | -8.4% |
| 2021 | 50.9% | +5.9% |
| 2022 | 52.0% | +2.1% |
| 2023 | 52.4% | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 52.3% | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 52.2% | -0.1% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) in Latin America & Caribbean 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | +35.1% | 21.7% | 29.3% |
| 1988 | +34.0% | 29.3% | 39.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 20.2% | 20.2% | 20.2% | 1 |
| 1970s | 21.7% | 21.7% | 21.7% | 1 |
| 1980s | 36.5% | 29.3% | 41.1% | 3 |
| 1990s | 46.2% | 37.9% | 50.7% | 7 |
| 2000s | 50.7% | 48.9% | 52.1% | 9 |
| 2010s | 51.3% | 50.6% | 52.5% | 9 |
| 2020s | 51.3% | 48.1% | 52.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean
More work & labour data for Latin America & Caribbean
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 51.4% (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, female (% of female population ages) 57.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 68.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 80.4% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 69.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 74.6% (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 52.2% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), 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 52.5% 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 20.2% in 1960.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages)?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 10th out of 24 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 2.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Labor force participation rate is the proportion of the population ages 15 and older that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.