Labor force with basic education in Brazil

Brazil: Labor force with basic education was 50.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
50.2%
Change on year
down 2.2%
World rank
60th
of 123 countries
All-time high
70.5%
in 1989
All-time low
50.2%
in 2025
Years of data
32
1989–2025

Labor force with basic education in Brazil, 1989–2025

0204060801989200720251989: 70.5 % of total working-age population with basic education1990: 70.4 % of total working-age population with basic education1992: 69.6 % of total working-age population with basic education1995: 67.3 % of total working-age population with basic education1996: 65.2 % of total working-age population with basic education1997: 66 % of total working-age population with basic education1998: 66 % of total working-age population with basic education1999: 66.7 % of total working-age population with basic education2001: 66.4 % of total working-age population with basic education2002: 67.1 % of total working-age population with basic education2003: 66.8 % of total working-age population with basic education2004: 67.3 % of total working-age population with basic education2005: 67.7 % of total working-age population with basic education2006: 67.2 % of total working-age population with basic education2007: 66.3 % of total working-age population with basic education2008: 65.6 % of total working-age population with basic education2009: 65.6 % of total working-age population with basic education2011: 62.3 % of total working-age population with basic education2012: 70.3 % of total working-age population with basic education2013: 69.9 % of total working-age population with basic education2014: 69.4 % of total working-age population with basic education2015: 66 % of total working-age population with basic education2016: 56.6 % of total working-age population with basic education2017: 56.9 % of total working-age population with basic education2018: 56.6 % of total working-age population with basic education2019: 56.2 % of total working-age population with basic education2020: 50.3 % of total working-age population with basic education2021: 52 % of total working-age population with basic education2022: 53 % of total working-age population with basic education2023: 51.4 % of total working-age population with basic education2024: 51.3 % of total working-age population with basic education2025: 50.2 % of total working-age population with basic education

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 123 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 57 Namibia 50.6% compare
  2. 58 Tunisia 50.5% compare
  3. 59 Netherlands 50.4% compare
  4. 61 Costa Rica 50.0% compare
  5. 62 Czechia 49.7% compare
  6. 63 Malawi 49.5% compare

See the full ranking of 143 places →

More work & labour data for Brazil

All data for Brazil →

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 123 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

Indicator
Labor force with basic education (% of total working-age population with basic education)
Unit
% of total working-age population with basic education
Source
Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
143 places, 2,669 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

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).