Labour dependency ratio in Latin America and the Caribbean
Latin America and the Caribbean: Labour dependency ratio was 1.15 in 2027. ▼ Falling
Labour dependency ratio in Latin America and the Caribbean, 1991–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Latin America and the Caribbean recorded 1.15 for labour dependency ratio in 2027. That is the lowest value across all 37 years on record.
The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 10.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labour dependency ratio in Latin America and the Caribbean peaked at 1.7 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 1.15, in 2027.
That places Latin America and the Caribbean 57th out of 87 groups with data for 2027, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 37 years of available data.
Labour dependency ratio in Latin America and the Caribbean, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1.7 | — |
| 1992 | 1.67 | -1.8% |
| 1993 | 1.63 | -2.3% |
| 1994 | 1.62 | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 1.63 | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 1.64 | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 1.59 | -3.2% |
| 1998 | 1.57 | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 1.58 | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 1.57 | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 1.54 | -2.0% |
| 2002 | 1.53 | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 1.5 | -2.0% |
| 2004 | 1.46 | -3.0% |
| 2005 | 1.42 | -2.9% |
| 2006 | 1.38 | -2.8% |
| 2007 | 1.36 | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 1.33 | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 1.34 | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 1.33 | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 1.31 | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 1.29 | -1.9% |
| 2013 | 1.28 | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 1.28 | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 1.27 | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 1.29 | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 1.28 | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 1.27 | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 1.25 | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 1.46 | +16.7% |
| 2021 | 1.33 | -9.2% |
| 2022 | 1.23 | -7.2% |
| 2023 | 1.21 | -2.1% |
| 2024 | 1.18 | -1.9% |
| 2025 | 1.17 | -1.5% |
| 2026 | 1.15 | -1.0% |
| 2027 | 1.15 | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.62 | 1.57 | 1.7 | 9 |
| 2000s | 1.44 | 1.33 | 1.57 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.28 | 1.25 | 1.33 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.23 | 1.15 | 1.46 | 8 |
Countries ranked near Latin America and the Caribbean
- 55 Suriname 1.69 compare
- 56 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 1.69 compare
- 57 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.68 compare
- 58 Zimbabwe 1.67 compare
- 59 French Polynesia 1.65 compare
- 60 Honduras 1.65 compare
- 60 North Macedonia 1.65 compare
More work & labour data for Latin America and the Caribbean
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 62.53 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 331,299 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 198,545 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 44,022 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.9209 % change on previous year (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.34 % change on previous year (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 59.34 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 20,218 (2027)
- Employment (ILO modelled estimates) 307,384 (2025)
- Employment 307,384 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labour dependency ratio in Latin America and the Caribbean?
- Labour dependency ratio in Latin America and the Caribbean was 1.15 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest labour dependency ratio recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 1.7 in 1991.
- What is the lowest labour dependency ratio recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.15 in 2027.
- How does Latin America and the Caribbean rank for labour dependency ratio?
- Latin America and the Caribbean ranks 57th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
- Is labour dependency ratio rising or falling in Latin America and the Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latin America and the Caribbean data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Labour dependency ratio (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 37 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. This indicator provides the ratio of dependents (persons aged 0 to 14 + persons aged 15 and above that are either outside the labour force or unemployed) to total employment. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.