Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Brazil

Brazil: Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) was 5,454 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
5,454
Change on year
down 11.7%
World rank
2nd
of 88 countries
All-time high
11,319
in 2020
All-time low
4,163
in 2014
Years of data
14
2012–2025

Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Brazil, 2012–2025

02.5k5.0k7.5k10.0k12.5k2012201820252012: 5.5k2013: 4.8k2014: 4.2k2015: 4.6k2016: 5.9k2017: 7.0k2018: 7.6k2019: 7.8k2020: 11.3k2021: 9.8k2022: 7.7k2023: 6.5k2024: 6.2k2025: 5.5k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

Brazil recorded 5,454 for potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.7% on the previous year and up 18.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Brazil peaked at 11,319 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 4,163, in 2014.

Brazil ranks 2nd of 88 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.

Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Brazil, year by year

Annual values for Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+) in Brazil, 2012 to 2025.
Year Value Change
2012 5,546
2013 4,751 -14.3%
2014 4,163 -12.4%
2015 4,608 +10.7%
2016 5,904 +28.1%
2017 7,023 +19.0%
2018 7,646 +8.9%
2019 7,812 +2.2%
2020 11,319 +44.9%
2021 9,753 -13.8%
2022 7,678 -21.3%
2023 6,500 -15.3%
2024 6,174 -5.0%
2025 5,454 -11.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 5,932 4,163 7,812 8
2020s 7,813 5,454 11,319 6

Countries ranked near Brazil

  1. 1 Indonesia 6,916 compare
  2. 3 South Africa 4,135 compare
  3. 4 Angola 3,508 compare
  4. 5 Malawi 2,259 compare

See the full ranking of 88 places →

More work & labour data for Brazil

All data for Brazil →

Frequently asked questions

What is potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Brazil?
Potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Brazil was 5,454 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in Brazil?
The highest recorded value was 11,319 in 2020.
What is the lowest potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in Brazil?
The lowest recorded value was 4,163 in 2014.
How does Brazil rank for potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13)?
Brazil ranks 2nd out of 88 countries with data for 2025.
Is potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) rising or falling in Brazil?
Over the last ten years it is up 18.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Brazil data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Brazil. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/potential-labour-force-previous-ilo-definition-icls13-15/brazil/

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About this data

Indicator
Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
88 places, 1,493 data points, 1987–2025
Last refreshed

With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. 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. Data disaggregated by level of education are provided on the highest level of education completed, classified according to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED). Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISCED. For more information, refer to the Education and Mismatch Indicators (EMI) database description.