How does participation differ from employment or unemployment? The figures below use World Bank observations for 2025. The observation period is distinct from the date this article is prepared.
Key takeaways
- Bolivia ranked 1 with 78.6 % of population ages 15 and older in 2025.
- Peru ranked 2 with 72.9 % of population ages 15 and older in 2025.
- Paraguay ranked 3 with 70.2 % of population ages 15 and older in 2025.
How does participation differ from employment or unemployment?
The labor force includes employed people and people counted as unemployed under the applicable statistical definition. Participation compares that labor force with the population group specified by the indicator. Someone outside the labor force is not automatically counted as unemployed.
How to interpret the differences
These are modeled ILO estimates distributed through the World Bank indicator. They should not be mixed casually with national-estimate series, narrower age groups or employment-to-population ratios. A higher participation rate does not by itself establish better pay, more secure jobs or equal access to work.
A country average, not a regional total
Mean: 63.8 % of population ages 15 and older in 2025.
This is an unweighted mean across the reported countries. Each country contributes equally; the result is not a GDP-weighted or population-weighted regional aggregate.
What to investigate next
Use participation alongside unemployment and demographic information when asking how people engage with the labor market. Care responsibilities, education and retirement can matter, but this ranking alone cannot identify why countries differ. The table reports estimates rather than an exact census of every worker.
| Rank | Country | Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) (modeled ILO estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bolivia | 78.6% |
| 2 | Peru | 72.9% |
| 3 | Paraguay | 70.2% |
| 4 | Panama | 66.3% |
| 5 | Nicaragua | 66.1% |
| 6 | Uruguay | 65.0% |
| 7 | Dominican Republic | 64.8% |
| 8 | Canada | 64.5% |
| 9 | Ecuador | 64.5% |
| 10 | Colombia | 63.4% |
| 11 | Brazil | 63.1% |
| 12 | Chile | 62.3% |
| 13 | El Salvador | 62.1% |
| 14 | Argentina | 61.9% |
| 15 | United States | 61.7% |
| 16 | Mexico | 61.6% |
| 17 | Guatemala | 59.6% |
| 18 | Costa Rica | 57.7% |
| 19 | Honduras | 56.6% |
| 20 | Cuba | 52.2% |
Source: World Bank WDI (SL.TLF.CACT.ZS)
Methodology: World Bank indicator SL.TLF.CACT.ZS for 20 reported countries from the configured 20-country comparison in 2025; exact source-reported values ranked descending without imputation or unit conversion. Missing observations remain excluded.
Methodology
World Bank indicator SL.TLF.CACT.ZS for 20 reported countries from the configured 20-country comparison in 2025; exact source-reported values ranked descending without imputation or unit conversion. Missing observations remain excluded.
Caveats
Coverage is limited to the configured selected-country universe and the stated reference year. Missing observations are not imputed.
Data attribution and reproducibility
ILO modeled estimates, via World Bank WDI. Indicator definitions and original provider credits. Data distributed under CC BY 4.0. WorldDataRank calculated the ordering and country mean and created the visual. Data retrieved 2026-10-27T19:35:38Z. The upstream release date is not supplied in this snapshot; it is not inferred from the observation year. This publication is independent and is not endorsed by the data providers.