Labor force, total in Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America & Caribbean: Labor force, total was 325.05 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, total in Latin America & Caribbean, 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
Analysis
Latin America & Caribbean recorded 325.05 million for labor force, total in 2025. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 11.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, total in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 325.05 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 172.87 million, in 1990.
That places Latin America & Caribbean 27th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force, total in Latin America & Caribbean, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 172.87 million | — |
| 1991 | 177.64 million | +2.8% |
| 1992 | 182.85 million | +2.9% |
| 1993 | 188.36 million | +3.0% |
| 1994 | 193.54 million | +2.8% |
| 1995 | 198.79 million | +2.7% |
| 1996 | 201.89 million | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 208.96 million | +3.5% |
| 1998 | 214.22 million | +2.5% |
| 1999 | 218.92 million | +2.2% |
| 2000 | 223.04 million | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 227.87 million | +2.2% |
| 2002 | 232.69 million | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 238.17 million | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 244.25 million | +2.6% |
| 2005 | 250.18 million | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 255.62 million | +2.2% |
| 2007 | 259.69 million | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 263.98 million | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 269.46 million | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 272.04 million | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 275.09 million | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 280.17 million | +1.8% |
| 2013 | 283.45 million | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 286.57 million | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 291.38 million | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 295.28 million | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 299.90 million | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 304.23 million | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 308.77 million | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 291.70 million | -5.5% |
| 2021 | 306.63 million | +5.1% |
| 2022 | 313.90 million | +2.4% |
| 2023 | 317.28 million | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 321.77 million | +1.4% |
| 2025 | 325.05 million | +1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 195.80 million | 172.87 million | 218.92 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 246.50 million | 223.04 million | 269.46 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 289.69 million | 272.04 million | 308.77 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 312.72 million | 291.70 million | 325.05 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean
More education data for Latin America & Caribbean
- Population ages 0-14 22.1% (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0928 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 3.34 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.1923 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 61.44 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 63.30 million (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 67.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, total in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Labor force, total in Latin America & Caribbean was 325.05 million in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, total recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 325.05 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest labor force, total recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 172.87 million in 1990.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for labor force, total?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 27th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, total rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database, published as part of Labor force, total. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
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.