Paraguay is home to approximately 1.43 million mothers, of whom 876,000 are employed, according to the latest data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) released on Mother's Day and reported by Ultima Hora. These working mothers represent about 25.6% of the country's total employed population, and 36% of all households are headed by a mother.
The INE's Permanent Household Survey for 2025 breaks down the employment situation: around 292,000 mothers work as self-employed, 224,000 are private-sector employees, and 141,000 work in domestic service. Some 60,000 perform unpaid family work, while 38,000 are unemployed and actively seeking work. On average, mothers have 10 years of formal education. About 73% reside in urban areas, and the remainder in rural zones. Marital status data shows 36.4% are married, 33.4% in a union, 10.5% single, 8.6% widowed, and 11% separated or divorced.
Employment specialist Enrique López Arce, quoted by Ultima Hora, noted that roughly 500,000 mothers are heads of household, and most work in services and sales. However, he warned: “There are still prejudices against mothers with young children and pregnant women, unfortunately.”
Despite women having slightly higher average education (10.3 years vs. 10.1 for men), a gender wage gap of 27.3% persists. Men's average income is G. 3,815,000, while women earn G. 2,772,000. The report highlights that women continue to face structural barriers including lower pay, high informal employment, and unpaid domestic work that limits professional development.