Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America & Caribbean: Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) was 62.7% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Latin America & Caribbean, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Latin America & Caribbean recorded 62.7% for labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and down 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 64.6% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 59.5%, in 2020.
That places Latin America & Caribbean 20th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Latin America & Caribbean, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 61.7% | — |
| 1991 | 61.9% | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 62.2% | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 62.6% | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 62.8% | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 63.0% | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 62.6% | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 63.3% | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 63.5% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 63.5% | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 63.3% | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 63.4% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 63.4% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 63.7% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 64.0% | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 64.4% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 64.6% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 64.4% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 64.3% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 64.5% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 64.1% | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 63.7% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 63.8% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 63.6% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 63.3% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 63.4% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 63.3% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 63.5% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 63.5% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 63.7% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 59.5% | -6.6% |
| 2021 | 61.9% | +4.1% |
| 2022 | 62.7% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 62.6% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 62.8% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 62.7% | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 62.7% | 61.7% | 63.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 64.0% | 63.3% | 64.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 63.6% | 63.3% | 64.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 62.0% | 59.5% | 62.8% | 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, male (% of male population ages 15+) 74.6% (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)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 69.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 68.9% (2025)
- Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) 12.2% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Latin America & Caribbean was 62.7% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 64.6% in 2006.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 59.5% in 2020.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+)?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 20th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- 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, total (% of total population ages 15+) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.