Economy, jobs and prices in Buenos Aires, Argentina: official figures
The unemployment rate in Buenos Aires was 8.2% in the second quarter of 2026 (INDEC EPH), 11th highest of 30 Argentine cities on this site; it was 8.7% a year earlier, so it is down 0.5 percentage points. The rate for all 31 survey areas was 7.9%.
What is the employment rate in Buenos Aires?
The employment rate in Buenos Aires (employed people as a share of all residents) was 45.3% in the second quarter of 2026, 13th highest of 30 Argentine cities on this site, against 44.7% a year earlier and 45.0% across the 31 survey areas.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyWhat is the labour force participation rate in Buenos Aires?
49.3% of residents of Buenos Aires were working or looking for work in the second quarter of 2026 (the activity rate), 9th highest of 30 Argentine cities on this site; the year before it was 48.9%.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyWhat is the underemployment rate in Buenos Aires?
In the second quarter of 2026, 11.0% of the labour force in Buenos Aires worked fewer hours than they wanted (underemployment), 15th lowest of 30 Argentine cities on this site, compared with 12.0% a year earlier and 11.5% across the 31 survey areas.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyHow many people in Buenos Aires work for the government?
In Buenos Aires, 23.2% of employed people were self-employed and 17.4% of employees worked in the public sector in the first quarter of 2026 (INDEC EPH); across the 31 survey areas the shares were 24.2% and 21.9%.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyHow many workers in Buenos Aires are looking for another job?
Among employed people in Buenos Aires, 16.5% were also looking for another job in the second quarter of 2026, 14th highest of 30 Argentine cities on this site.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyWhat is the average income per person in Buenos Aires?
Mean family income per person in Buenos Aires was 785,312 pesos a month in the first quarter of 2026 (INDEC EPH, current pesos), 10th highest of 30 Argentine cities on this site; the mean for all 31 survey areas was 731,516 pesos.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyWhat is the median income in Buenos Aires?
The median person in Buenos Aires lived in a household with family income of 525,000 pesos per person a month in the first quarter of 2026, 12th highest of 30 Argentine cities on this site (all 31 survey areas: 500,000 pesos).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyWhat is the average wage in Buenos Aires?
Employed people in Buenos Aires who reported earnings made a mean of 1,196,972 pesos a month from their main job in the first quarter of 2026 (median 960,000 pesos), 9th highest of 30 Argentine cities on this site on the mean; across the 31 survey areas the mean was 1,104,227 pesos.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyHow unequal are incomes in Buenos Aires?
The richest tenth of residents of Buenos Aires, ranked by family income per person, received 34.5% of all income in the first quarter of 2026, 3rd highest of 30 Argentine cities on this site on income concentration (all 31 survey areas: 33.4%).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyIs income in Buenos Aires above the national average?
Mean family income per person in Buenos Aires was 1.07 times the mean for the 31 survey areas in the first quarter of 2026, and the median was 1.05 times the 31-area median.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyHow many homes in Buenos Aires have piped gas?
67.7% of households in Buenos Aires cooked mainly with piped gas in the first quarter of 2026, 15th lowest of 30 Argentine cities on this site (all 31 survey areas: 64.7%).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyHow many people in Buenos Aires rent their home?
In Buenos Aires, 67.8% of households owned their home and 21.0% rented it in the first quarter of 2026; the shares for all 31 survey areas were 67.8% and 20.9%.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyHow Buenos Aires compares with other cities in Argentina
Unemployment rate (Q2 2026)
Buenos Aires ranks 11 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Unemployment rate |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | La Plata | 8.7% |
| 9 | Santa Fé | 8.6% |
| 10 | San Nicolás-Villa Constitución | 8.4% |
| 11 | Buenos Aires | 8.2% |
| 12 | Mendoza | 8.1% |
| 13 | Ushuaia-Río Grande | 8.1% |
| 14 | Rawson-Trelew-Playa Unión | 7.7% |
Employment rate (Q2 2026)
Buenos Aires ranks 13 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Employment rate |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | San Salvador de Jujuy-Palpalá | 45.9% |
| 11 | Bahía Blanca-Cerri | 45.8% |
| 12 | Córdoba | 45.5% |
| 13 | Buenos Aires | 45.3% |
| 14 | Posadas | 44.5% |
| 15 | Ushuaia-Río Grande | 44.5% |
| 16 | Rio Gallegos | 44.5% |
Activity rate (Q2 2026)
Buenos Aires ranks 9 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Activity rate |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Bahía Blanca-Cerri | 50.7% |
| 7 | Neuquén-Plottier | 50.5% |
| 8 | Mendoza | 50.3% |
| 9 | Buenos Aires | 49.3% |
| 10 | Rio Gallegos | 48.8% |
| 11 | Tucumán-Tafí Viejo | 48.6% |
| 12 | San Juan | 48.5% |
Underemployment rate (Q2 2026)
Buenos Aires ranks 16 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Underemployment rate |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | San Nicolás-Villa Constitución | 11.9% |
| 14 | Salta | 11.7% |
| 15 | Rio Gallegos | 11.1% |
| 16 | Buenos Aires | 11.0% |
| 17 | Posadas | 10.8% |
| 18 | Rosario | 9.8% |
| 19 | Concordia | 9.1% |
Informal jobs, share of employed (Q1 2026)
Buenos Aires ranks 16 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Informal jobs, share of employed |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | San Luis - El Chorrillo | 46.1% |
| 14 | Catamarca | 45.1% |
| 15 | La Rioja | 43.9% |
| 16 | Buenos Aires | 43.0% |
| 17 | La Plata | 42.6% |
| 18 | San Nicolás-Villa Constitución | 41.0% |
| 19 | Rosario | 40.9% |
Mean family income per person (pesos a month) (Q1 2026)
Buenos Aires ranks 10 of 30, highest first. Current pesos, people in households that reported income
| Rank | City | Mean family income per person (pesos a month) |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Mar del Plata-Batán | 803,994 |
| 8 | Bahía Blanca-Cerri | 801,654 |
| 9 | Rosario | 790,314 |
| 10 | Buenos Aires | 785,312 |
| 11 | Comodoro Rivadavia-Rada Tilly | 741,900 |
| 12 | La Plata | 740,962 |
| 13 | Córdoba | 733,809 |
Median family income per person (pesos a month) (Q1 2026)
Buenos Aires ranks 12 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median family income per person (pesos a month) |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Rosario | 600,000 |
| 10 | Mar del Plata-Batán | 600,000 |
| 11 | Córdoba | 553,333 |
| 12 | Buenos Aires | 525,000 |
| 13 | San Nicolás-Villa Constitución | 521,250 |
| 14 | La Plata | 500,000 |
| 15 | Paraná | 477,500 |
Mean main-job income of earners (pesos a month) (Q1 2026)
Buenos Aires ranks 9 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Mean main-job income of earners (pesos a month) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Rawson-Trelew-Playa Unión | 1,297,038 |
| 7 | Bahía Blanca-Cerri | 1,219,525 |
| 8 | Río Cuarto | 1,209,353 |
| 9 | Buenos Aires | 1,196,972 |
| 10 | Rosario | 1,166,496 |
| 11 | Mar del Plata-Batán | 1,136,418 |
| 12 | San Nicolás-Villa Constitución | 1,091,596 |
Share of income received by the richest tenth (Q1 2026)
Buenos Aires ranks 3 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Share of income received by the richest tenth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Rosa-Toay | 42.0% |
| 2 | La Plata | 34.8% |
| 3 | Buenos Aires | 34.5% |
| 4 | Catamarca | 33.7% |
| 5 | Rawson-Trelew-Playa Unión | 33.6% |
| 6 | Ushuaia-Río Grande | 33.1% |
| 7 | Formosa | 31.9% |
Households connected to a public sewer (Q1 2026)
Buenos Aires ranks 23 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Households connected to a public sewer |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Santa Rosa-Toay | 80.4% |
| 21 | Bahía Blanca-Cerri | 80.1% |
| 22 | Tucumán-Tafí Viejo | 75.8% |
| 23 | Buenos Aires | 70.4% |
| 24 | Resistencia | 62.1% |
| 25 | Santa Fé | 58.7% |
| 26 | La Plata | 58.6% |
Households cooking with piped gas (Q1 2026)
Buenos Aires ranks 16 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Households cooking with piped gas |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | San Nicolás-Villa Constitución | 70.6% |
| 14 | Rosario | 69.0% |
| 15 | Río Cuarto | 68.0% |
| 16 | Buenos Aires | 67.7% |
| 17 | La Plata | 63.8% |
| 18 | Tucumán-Tafí Viejo | 60.8% |
| 19 | Córdoba | 60.0% |
More on Buenos Aires: overview · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · all cities in Argentina
Sources
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC): Mercado de trabajo. Tasas e indicadores socioeconómicos (EPH), segundo trimestre de 2026 (Tables 3.2 and 3.3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b0a700bac4db…)
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC): Encuesta Permanente de Hogares (EPH): bases de microdatos usuarias, individual y hogar, primer trimestre de 2026 (figures computed with the survey weights), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d9d23945d4b1…)
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