Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries): Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) was 6.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), 1990–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) stood at 6.5%.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and down 17.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 14.1% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 6.4%, in 2024.
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 8th of 24 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 32 years of available data.
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 8.2% | — |
| 1992 | 9.9% | +21.0% |
| 1993 | 9.1% | -8.1% |
| 1995 | 10.8% | +18.6% |
| 1996 | 12.2% | +13.0% |
| 1997 | 12.1% | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 13.1% | +8.6% |
| 1999 | 14.1% | +7.3% |
| 2001 | 11.2% | -20.3% |
| 2002 | 11.9% | +6.4% |
| 2003 | 12.2% | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 11.2% | -8.8% |
| 2005 | 10.7% | -3.6% |
| 2006 | 9.3% | -13.2% |
| 2007 | 9.4% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 8.6% | -8.4% |
| 2009 | 9.6% | +12.3% |
| 2011 | 8.3% | -13.4% |
| 2012 | 7.9% | -5.5% |
| 2013 | 7.5% | -4.2% |
| 2014 | 7.2% | -4.5% |
| 2015 | 7.9% | +9.1% |
| 2016 | 9.1% | +15.8% |
| 2017 | 9.6% | +5.1% |
| 2018 | 9.6% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 9.8% | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 12.2% | +25.3% |
| 2021 | 11.4% | -6.8% |
| 2022 | 8.5% | -25.6% |
| 2023 | 7.3% | -13.3% |
| 2024 | 6.4% | -12.2% |
| 2025 | 6.5% | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.2% | 8.2% | 14.1% | 8 |
| 2000s | 10.5% | 8.6% | 12.2% | 9 |
| 2010s | 8.5% | 7.2% | 9.8% | 9 |
| 2020s | 8.7% | 6.4% | 12.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
More work & labour data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 51.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 75.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 63.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 39.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 55.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 47.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 69.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 57.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 80.6% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 69.3% (2025)
All data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) was 6.5% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, female (% of female labor force) recorded in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 14.1% in 1999.
- What is the lowest unemployment, female (% of female labor force) recorded in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.4% in 2024.
- How does Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for unemployment, female (% of female labor force)?
- Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 8th out of 24 groups with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, female (% of female labor force) rising or falling in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.