More than 876,000 mothers are currently employed in Paraguay, representing about 25.6% of the country's total occupied workforce, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) based on the 2025 Permanent Household Survey (EPHC). The figures, reported by El Nacional and 1000 Noticias, highlight the central role mothers play in the economy while underscoring persistent inequalities.
Paraguay is home to approximately 1,434,370 mothers, of whom 73% live in urban areas and 27% in rural zones, per INE. Rural mothers face greater barriers to basic services and employment opportunities. The average schooling among mothers is 10 years, reflecting limited access to higher education.
Of the 876,000 employed mothers, about 292,000 work as self-employed, 224,000 in the private sector, 141,000 in paid domestic work, and 60,000 in unpaid family labor. Another 38,000 are unemployed and actively seeking work, according to INE data cited by both outlets. The high concentration in informal and low-wage sectors remains a key challenge.
Women's labor force participation has grown to 60.8%, mainly in commerce and services, but gaps with men persist in access, wages, and formalization. Over 70% of employed women are in urban areas, often balancing paid work with unpaid care duties, El Nacional notes.
Household leadership is also shifting: 36% of Paraguayan households are headed by a mother, reflecting women's growing economic and organizational role. Marital status data from INE shows 36.4% of mothers are married, 33.4% in consensual unions, 10.5% single, 8.6% widowed, and 11% separated or divorced.
Released ahead of Mother's Day (May 15), the data renew debate on structural barriers linked to maternity, workplace prejudice, and lack of family-friendly policies. Both sources agree that while mothers increasingly sustain households and employment, equitable conditions remain distant.