Countries in South America by jobs in industry
The share of people in work who work in industry: mining, manufacturing, construction and utilities. 12 countries in South America, highest first. World Bank, 2025
Median country
19.9%
half above, half below| # | Country | % of jobs | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Guyana | 31.1% | South America |
| 2 |  Suriname | 26.1% | South America |
| 3 |  Chile | 21.5% | South America |
| 4 |  Argentina | 21.2% | South America |
| 5 |  Brazil | 20.2% | South America |
| 6 |  Colombia | 20.0% | South America |
| 7 |  Bolivia | 19.8% | South America |
| 8 |  Paraguay | 19.0% | South America |
| 9 |  Uruguay | 18.8% | South America |
| =10 |  Peru | 16.8% | South America |
| =10 |  Venezuela | 16.8% | South America |
| 12 |  Ecuador | 16.6% | South America |
Questions
- Which country in South America has the most jobs in industry?
- Guyana has the most jobs in industry in South America: 31.1% of jobs (2025). Next come Suriname (26.1% of jobs) and Chile (21.5% of jobs).
- Which country in South America has the fewest jobs in industry?
- Ecuador, with 16.6% of jobs (2025).
- What is the typical jobs in industry of a country in South America?
- The median of the 12 countries in South America is 19.9% of jobs: half are above it, half below. The median, not the average, because a few countries at the top would drag an average far above almost everyone.
- Where do the figures come from?
- The share of people in work who work in industry: mining, manufacturing, construction and utilities. Source: World Bank, 2025. Only independent states are ranked; territories are listed separately. A country’s continent follows Natural Earth; the handful of island states it files under the open ocean are placed by their UN subregion.
Source: World Bank (CC BY 4.0). Figures more than 5 years older than the newest are left out rather than shown beside current ones. Countries sharing a value share a rank. All sources.