Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) vs South Africa: Labor force, total

Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
305.57 million
in 2025
South Africa
26.73 million
in 2025
Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) rank
29th
South Africa rank
26th

Labor force, total over time

  • Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
  • South Africa
0100.0M200.0M300.0M199020072025

How they compare

Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) currently reports 305.57 million against 26.73 million in South Africa, a difference of 278.84 million.

That makes Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)'s figure about 11.4 times South Africa's.

Across all 36 years both countries report, Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) has been ahead every year.

Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) ranks 29th and South Africa ranks 26th of 47 groups.

Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) South Africa Difference Ahead
1990s 183.86 million 16.03 million 167.83 million Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
2000s 232.04 million 18.90 million 213.14 million Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
2010s 272.30 million 21.56 million 250.73 million Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
2020s 294.09 million 24.87 million 269.22 million Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher labor force, total, Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) or South Africa?
Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income), at 305.57 million against 26.73 million in South Africa as of 2025.
What is the difference in labor force, total between Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) and South Africa?
278.84 million, with Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) and South Africa?
36 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2025.
How do Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) and South Africa rank globally for labor force, total?
Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) ranks 29th and South Africa ranks 26th of 47 groups.
Where does this data come from?
International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database, published as Labor force, total. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) vs South Africa: Labor force, total. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database. Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/labor-force-total/latin-america-and-caribbean-excluding-high-income/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Labor force, total
Source
International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
235 places, 8,446 data points, 1990–2025
Last refreshed

Labor force comprises people ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period. It includes people who are currently employed and people who are unemployed but seeking work as well as first-time job-seekers. Not everyone who works is included, however. Unpaid workers, family workers, and students are often omitted, and some countries do not count members of the armed forces. Labor force size tends to vary during the year as seasonal workers enter and leave.