Compensation of employees in Latin America & Caribbean

Latin America & Caribbean: Compensation of employees was 24.5% in 2023. ▬ Flat

Latest (2023)
24.5%
Change on year
down 12.3%
Rank
19th
of 41 groups
All-time high
34.3%
in 2002
All-time low
24.5%
in 2023
Years of data
26
1998–2023

Compensation of employees in Latin America & Caribbean, 1998–2023

01020301998201020231998: 25.4 % of expense1999: 24.7 % of expense2000: 28.3 % of expense2001: 28.6 % of expense2002: 34.3 % of expense2003: 31 % of expense2004: 28.2 % of expense2005: 32.8 % of expense2006: 33 % of expense2007: 34.1 % of expense2008: 31.3 % of expense2009: 30.8 % of expense2010: 29.6 % of expense2011: 33.4 % of expense2012: 29.3 % of expense2013: 29.1 % of expense2014: 28.3 % of expense2015: 28.7 % of expense2016: 32.3 % of expense2017: 30.9 % of expense2018: 32.9 % of expense2019: 31.6 % of expense2020: 30.9 % of expense2021: 29 % of expense2022: 27.9 % of expense2023: 24.5 % of expense

Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of expense.

Analysis

The most recent figure for compensation of employees in Latin America & Caribbean is 24.5%, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.

The figure is down 12.3% on the previous year and down 15.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, compensation of employees in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 34.3% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 24.5%, in 2023.

That places Latin America & Caribbean 19th out of 41 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

Compensation of employees in Latin America & Caribbean, year by year

Annual values for Compensation of employees (% of expense) in Latin America & Caribbean, 1998 to 2023.
Year % of expense Change
1998 25.4%
1999 24.7% -3.0%
2000 28.3% +14.4%
2001 28.6% +1.1%
2002 34.3% +20.2%
2003 31.0% -9.8%
2004 28.2% -8.9%
2005 32.8% +16.3%
2006 33.0% +0.6%
2007 34.1% +3.2%
2008 31.3% -8.2%
2009 30.8% -1.6%
2010 29.6% -4.1%
2011 33.4% +12.8%
2012 29.3% -12.3%
2013 29.1% -0.6%
2014 28.3% -2.8%
2015 28.7% +1.5%
2016 32.3% +12.4%
2017 30.9% -4.3%
2018 32.9% +6.5%
2019 31.6% -3.8%
2020 30.9% -2.2%
2021 29.0% -6.3%
2022 27.9% -3.5%
2023 24.5% -12.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 25.1% 24.7% 25.4% 2
2000s 31.2% 28.2% 34.3% 10
2010s 30.6% 28.3% 33.4% 10
2020s 28.1% 24.5% 30.9% 4

Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean

  1. 16 Jordan 46.0% compare
  2. 17 Gabon 45.0% compare
  3. 18 Lesotho 44.7% compare
  4. 19 Kyrgyzstan 43.6% compare
  5. 20 Mali 43.3% compare
  6. 21 Somalia 42.0% compare
  7. 22 Paraguay 41.5% compare

See the full ranking of 196 places →

More public sector data for Latin America & Caribbean

All data for Latin America & Caribbean →

Frequently asked questions

What is compensation of employees in Latin America & Caribbean?
Compensation of employees in Latin America & Caribbean was 24.5% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest compensation of employees recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
The highest recorded value was 34.3% in 2002.
What is the lowest compensation of employees recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
The lowest recorded value was 24.5% in 2023.
How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for compensation of employees?
Latin America & Caribbean ranks 19th out of 41 groups with data for 2023.
Is compensation of employees rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
Over the last ten years it is down 15.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Latin America & Caribbean data come from?
The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Compensation of employees (% of expense). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Compensation of employees in Latin America & Caribbean. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/compensation-of-employees-percent-of-expense/latin-america-and-caribbean/

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About this data

Indicator
Compensation of employees (% of expense)
Unit
% of expense
Source
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
196 places, 5,286 data points, 1972–2024
Last refreshed

Compensation of employees is defined as the total remuneration, in cash or in kind, payable by an enterprise to an employee in return for work done by the latter during the accounting period. This indicator is expressed as percentage of total expenses which is any decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction.