Labor force with basic education in Brazil
Brazil: Labor force with basic education was 50.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force with basic education in Brazil, 1989–2025
Source: Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO). Measured in % of total working-age population with basic education.
Analysis
Brazil recorded 50.2% for labor force with basic education in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 32 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.2% on the previous year and down 24.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force with basic education in Brazil peaked at 70.5% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 50.2%, in 2025.
Brazil ranks 60th of 125 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 32 years of available data.
Labor force with basic education in Brazil, year by year
| Year | % of total working-age population with basic education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 70.5% | — |
| 1990 | 70.4% | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 69.6% | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 67.3% | -3.2% |
| 1996 | 65.2% | -3.1% |
| 1997 | 66.0% | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 66.0% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 66.7% | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 66.4% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 67.1% | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 66.8% | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 67.3% | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 67.7% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 67.2% | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 66.3% | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 65.6% | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 65.6% | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 62.3% | -5.0% |
| 2012 | 70.3% | +12.9% |
| 2013 | 69.9% | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 69.4% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 66.0% | -4.9% |
| 2016 | 56.6% | -14.3% |
| 2017 | 56.9% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 56.6% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 56.2% | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 50.3% | -10.6% |
| 2021 | 52.0% | +3.4% |
| 2022 | 53.0% | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 51.4% | -2.9% |
| 2024 | 51.3% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 50.2% | -2.2% |
Brazil compared with similar countries
- Brazil's 50.2% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 51.0%, 98% of the median. (40 countries reporting)
- Brazil's 50.2% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 56.3%, 89% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 70.5% | 70.5% | 70.5% | 1 |
| 1990s | 67.3% | 65.2% | 70.4% | 7 |
| 2000s | 66.7% | 65.6% | 67.7% | 9 |
| 2010s | 62.7% | 56.2% | 70.3% | 9 |
| 2020s | 51.3% | 50.2% | 53.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Brazil
More work & labour data for Brazil
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.7328 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.7065 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.7581 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.74 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.1001 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 215,063 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 17,625 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 82,304 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 81,060 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 163,364 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force with basic education in Brazil?
- Labor force with basic education in Brazil was 50.2% in 2025, according to Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force with basic education recorded in Brazil?
- The highest recorded value was 70.5% in 1989.
- What is the lowest labor force with basic education recorded in Brazil?
- The lowest recorded value was 50.2% in 2025.
- How does Brazil rank for labor force with basic education?
- Brazil ranks 60th out of 125 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force with basic education rising or falling in Brazil?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Brazil data come from?
- The figures come from Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force with basic education (% of total working-age population with basic education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The ratio of the labor force with basic education to the working-age population with basic education. Basic education comprises primary education or lower secondary education according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).