Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America & Caribbean: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) was 47.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Latin America & Caribbean, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Latin America & Caribbean stood at 47.2%.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 55.4% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 44.6%, in 2020.
Latin America & Caribbean ranks 18th of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Latin America & Caribbean, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 55.3% | — |
| 1991 | 55.3% | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 55.3% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 55.4% | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 55.3% | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 55.4% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 54.6% | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 55.2% | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 55.3% | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 55.0% | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 54.6% | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 53.9% | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 53.8% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 53.6% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 53.7% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 54.0% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 53.6% | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 53.0% | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 52.6% | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 52.2% | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 51.2% | -2.0% |
| 2011 | 50.4% | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 50.5% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 49.4% | -2.1% |
| 2014 | 48.7% | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 48.3% | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 48.2% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 48.4% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 48.5% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 48.9% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 44.6% | -8.6% |
| 2021 | 47.8% | +7.1% |
| 2022 | 48.1% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 47.3% | -1.6% |
| 2024 | 47.3% | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 47.2% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 55.2% | 54.6% | 55.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 53.5% | 52.2% | 54.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 49.2% | 48.2% | 51.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 47.1% | 44.6% | 48.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean
- 15 Switzerland 65.6% compare
- 16 Mozambique 65.0% compare
- 17 Nigeria 64.8% compare
- 18 Canada 63.1% compare
- 19 South Sudan 62.7% compare
- 20 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 61.2% compare
- 21 Central African Republic 60.7% compare
More work & labour data for Latin America & Caribbean
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 51.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 74.6% (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, 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, female (% of female population ages) 57.7% (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 for ages 15-24, total (%) in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Latin America & Caribbean was 47.2% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 55.4% in 1993.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.6% in 2020.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%)?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 18th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24 is the proportion of the population ages 15-24 that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.