Labor force, total in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries): Labor force, total was 318.69 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, total in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
Analysis
The most recent figure for labor force, total in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) is 318.69 million, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 11.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, total in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 318.69 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 167.24 million, in 1990.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 189.86 million | 167.24 million | 212.68 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 240.00 million | 216.79 million | 262.77 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 283.08 million | 265.43 million | 302.19 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 306.33 million | 285.37 million | 318.69 million | 6 |
More education data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Population ages 0-14 22.3% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 67.7% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 104.7% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 3.22 million (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 104.7% (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, male 104.8% (2024)
- Labor force, female 42.1% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index 0.9823 GPI (2020)
- School enrollment, secondary 98.0% (2024)
- Probability of dying among youth ages 20-24 years 7.28 per 1,000 (2024)
All data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, total in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Labor force, total in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) was 318.69 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 & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 318.69 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest labor force, total recorded in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 167.24 million in 1990.
- Is labor force, total rising or falling in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) 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.