São Paulo reports significant elderly workforce growth and population estimates

Data from the Seade Foundation and IBGE reveal that 2.2 million people aged 60 and older were part of the workforce in the state of São Paulo during the second quarter of 2026. This represents 26.5% of the state's elderly population. Between 2019 and 2026, the number of employed seniors grew by 26%, an increase of 441,000 people, outstripping the growth rate of the general occupied population.

Among those aged 60 to 69, 53.4% of men were in the workforce compared to 28.8% of women. For those aged 70 and older, participation rates were 17.4% for men and 5.8% for women. Self-employment remains the primary form of occupation for seniors, accounting for 40.2% of the elderly workforce, rising to 53.9% for those aged 70 and above.

Regarding demographics, IBGE estimates for 2026 place the population of the city of São Paulo at 11,911,337 residents. The São Paulo Metropolitan Region comprises 21,587,756 inhabitants across 39 municipalities, while the total population of the state of São Paulo is estimated at 46,179,008.