People outside the labor force in Brazil
- Data for: Aug 2026
- Aug 2025: 65.8 million (+0.9%)
- Source: IBGE, PNAD Contínua (SIDRA table 6318)
Brazil had 66.4 million people outside the labor force in the quarter ending Aug 2026, according to the PNAD Contínua. A year earlier (Aug 2025), the figure was 65.8 million (+0.9%).
Series used: people outside the labor force (aged 14 or over) (PNAD Contínua, SIDRA 6318). Data updated on .
Value at the end of each year
| Year | People outside the labor force (aged 14 or over) |
|---|---|
| 2026 (through Aug 2026) | 66.4 million |
| 2025 | 66.2 million |
| 2024 | 64.9 million |
| 2023 | 65.1 million |
| 2022 | 64.8 million |
| 2021 | 63.6 million |
| 2020 | 68.3 million |
| 2019 | 61.1 million |
| 2018 | 60.8 million |
| 2017 | 60.4 million |
| 2016 | 60.6 million |
| 2015 | 59.7 million |
Analysis on this topic
How IBGE defines it
These are people aged 14 or over who were neither employed nor unemployed: students, retirees, people who look after the home and people who do not want or are not able to work, among others.
How to read the numbers
Values are rolling quarters: each point summarizes the three months ending in the month shown, which smooths out month-to-month swings. The PNAD Contínua is a household sample survey, so the figures have a margin of error and IBGE may revise them.
Frequently asked questions
What is the latest value of "Outside the labor force"?
People outside the labor force (aged 14 or over): 66.4 million, for Aug 2026. A year earlier (Aug 2025): 65.8 million.
What does "People outside the labor force (aged 14 or over)" mean?
These are people aged 14 or over who were neither employed nor unemployed: students, retirees, people who look after the home and people who do not want or are not able to work, among others.
Where does the "Outside the labor force" data come from and when is it updated?
The data come from IBGE, PNAD Contínua (SIDRA table 6318). This page shows the figure for Aug 2026 and the base was updated on Oct 26, 2026. The source may revise numbers already published.
Download the data and cite it
Full series in open format: CSV. Unit: thousand people (rolling quarter ending in the month).
Updated . How to cite: dadobruto.com. People outside the labor force (aged 14 or over). Data: IBGE, PNAD Contínua (SIDRA table 6318). Updated Oct 26, 2026. https://dadobruto.com/en/brazil-in-numbers/outside-labor-force
License: You may copy and republish the data and charts, including commercially, under the CC BY 4.0 license. The condition is to credit "dadobruto.com" and, when published online, to link to dadobruto.com or to the page the data came from. The original numbers follow the rules of IBGE, PNAD Contínua (SIDRA table 6318).
Also searched as: economically inactive population, not in the labor force.