Potential labour force in BRICS

BRICS: Potential labour force was 65,996 in 2027. ▼ Falling

Latest (2027)
65,996
Change on year
up 0.6%
Rank
5th
of 87 groups
All-time high
83,321
in 2004
All-time low
63,917
in 2024
Years of data
24
2004–2027

Potential labour force in BRICS, 2004–2027

020.0k40.0k60.0k80.0k2004201520272004: 83.3k2005: 83.2k2006: 81.7k2007: 79.5k2008: 79.5k2009: 80.1k2010: 78.7k2011: 77.4k2012: 76.6k2013: 75.1k2014: 73.4k2015: 72.7k2016: 73.5k2017: 73.2k2018: 72.6k2019: 68.7k2020: 80.4k2021: 73.5k2022: 68.8k2023: 64.9k2024: 63.9k2025: 65.3k2026: 65.6k2027: 66.0k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2027, potential labour force in BRICS stood at 65,996.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and down 9.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, potential labour force in BRICS peaked at 83,321 in 2004 and was at its lowest, 63,917, in 2024.

BRICS ranks 5th of 87 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.

Potential labour force in BRICS, year by year

Annual values for Potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in BRICS, 2004 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2004 83,321
2005 83,168 -0.2%
2006 81,687 -1.8%
2007 79,518 -2.7%
2008 79,525 +0.0%
2009 80,097 +0.7%
2010 78,692 -1.8%
2011 77,411 -1.6%
2012 76,608 -1.0%
2013 75,080 -2.0%
2014 73,355 -2.3%
2015 72,666 -0.9%
2016 73,497 +1.1%
2017 73,166 -0.5%
2018 72,554 -0.8%
2019 68,721 -5.3%
2020 80,396 +17.0%
2021 73,499 -8.6%
2022 68,778 -6.4%
2023 64,870 -5.7%
2024 63,917 -1.5%
2025 65,257 +2.1%
2026 65,600 +0.5%
2027 65,996 +0.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 81,219 79,518 83,321 6
2010s 74,175 68,721 78,692 10
2020s 68,539 63,917 80,396 8

More work & labour data for BRICS

All data for BRICS →

Frequently asked questions

What is potential labour force in BRICS?
Potential labour force in BRICS was 65,996 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest potential labour force recorded in BRICS?
The highest recorded value was 83,321 in 2004.
What is the lowest potential labour force recorded in BRICS?
The lowest recorded value was 63,917 in 2024.
How does BRICS rank for potential labour force?
BRICS ranks 5th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
Is potential labour force rising or falling in BRICS?
Over the last ten years it is down 9.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this BRICS data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Potential labour force in BRICS. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/potential-labour-force-ilo-modelled-estimates/brics/

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About this data

Indicator
Potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
87 places, 2,088 data points, 2004–2027
Last refreshed

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. The potential labour force refers to persons not in employment who express an interest in this form of work but for whom existing conditions limit their active job search and/or their availability. This group is used to calculate alternative measures of labour underutilization. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.