Economy, jobs and prices in Rio Gallegos, Argentina: official figures
The unemployment rate in Rio Gallegos was 8.8% in the second quarter of 2026 (INDEC EPH), 7th highest of 30 Argentine cities on this site; it was 6.2% a year earlier, so it is up 2.6 percentage points. The rate for all 31 survey areas was 7.9%.
What is the employment rate in Rio Gallegos?
The employment rate in Rio Gallegos (employed people as a share of all residents) was 44.5% in the second quarter of 2026, joint 14th highest of 30 Argentine cities on this site, against 42.6% 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 Rio Gallegos?
48.8% of residents of Rio Gallegos were working or looking for work in the second quarter of 2026 (the activity rate), 10th highest of 30 Argentine cities on this site; the year before it was 45.4%.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyWhat is the underemployment rate in Rio Gallegos?
In the second quarter of 2026, 11.1% of the labour force in Rio Gallegos worked fewer hours than they wanted (underemployment), 15th highest of 30 Argentine cities on this site, compared with 11.2% a year earlier and 11.5% across the 31 survey areas.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyHow many people in Rio Gallegos work for the government?
In Rio Gallegos, 13.3% of employed people were self-employed and 59.4% 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 Rio Gallegos are looking for another job?
Among employed people in Rio Gallegos, 13.7% were also looking for another job in the second quarter of 2026, 15th lowest of 30 Argentine cities on this site.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyWhat is the average income per person in Rio Gallegos?
Mean family income per person in Rio Gallegos was 829,952 pesos a month in the first quarter of 2026 (INDEC EPH, current pesos), 6th 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 Rio Gallegos?
The median person in Rio Gallegos lived in a household with family income of 650,000 pesos per person a month in the first quarter of 2026, joint 4th 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 Rio Gallegos?
Employed people in Rio Gallegos who reported earnings made a mean of 1,318,559 pesos a month from their main job in the first quarter of 2026 (median 1,100,000 pesos), 5th 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 Rio Gallegos?
The richest tenth of residents of Rio Gallegos, ranked by family income per person, received 25.1% of all income in the first quarter of 2026, 2nd lowest 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 Rio Gallegos above the national average?
Mean family income per person in Rio Gallegos was 1.13 times the mean for the 31 survey areas in the first quarter of 2026, and the median was 1.30 times the 31-area median.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyHow many homes in Rio Gallegos have piped gas?
99.7% of households in Rio Gallegos cooked mainly with piped gas in the first quarter of 2026, the highest 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 Rio Gallegos rent their home?
In Rio Gallegos, 54.2% of households owned their home and 35.5% 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 Rio Gallegos compares with other cities in Argentina
Unemployment rate (Q2 2026)
Rio Gallegos ranks 7 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Unemployment rate |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Bahía Blanca-Cerri | 9.7% |
| 5 | Comodoro Rivadavia-Rada Tilly | 9.2% |
| 6 | Corrientes | 9.1% |
| 7 | Rio Gallegos | 8.8% |
| 8 | La Plata | 8.7% |
| 9 | Santa Fé | 8.6% |
| 10 | San Nicolás-Villa Constitución | 8.4% |
Employment rate (Q2 2026)
Rio Gallegos ranks 16 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Employment rate |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Buenos Aires | 45.3% |
| 14 | Posadas | 44.5% |
| 15 | Ushuaia-Río Grande | 44.5% |
| 16 | Rio Gallegos | 44.5% |
| 17 | La Rioja | 43.9% |
| 18 | Paraná | 43.3% |
| 19 | Salta | 43.2% |
Activity rate (Q2 2026)
Rio Gallegos ranks 10 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Activity rate |
|---|---|---|
| 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% |
| 13 | Ushuaia-Río Grande | 48.5% |
Underemployment rate (Q2 2026)
Rio Gallegos ranks 15 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Underemployment rate |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | San Juan | 12.2% |
| 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% |
Informal jobs, share of employed (Q1 2026)
Rio Gallegos ranks 29 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Informal jobs, share of employed |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | Mar del Plata-Batán | 35.9% |
| 25 | Rawson-Trelew-Playa Unión | 33.0% |
| 26 | Comodoro Rivadavia-Rada Tilly | 30.4% |
| 27 | Bahía Blanca-Cerri | 30.1% |
| 28 | Neuquén-Plottier | 26.4% |
| 29 | Rio Gallegos | 24.4% |
| 30 | Ushuaia-Río Grande | 18.0% |
Mean family income per person (pesos a month) (Q1 2026)
Rio Gallegos ranks 6 of 30, highest first. Current pesos, people in households that reported income
| Rank | City | Mean family income per person (pesos a month) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Ushuaia-Río Grande | 1,062,100 |
| 4 | Rawson-Trelew-Playa Unión | 877,574 |
| 5 | Río Cuarto | 862,603 |
| 6 | Rio Gallegos | 829,952 |
| 7 | Mar del Plata-Batán | 803,994 |
| 8 | Bahía Blanca-Cerri | 801,654 |
| 9 | Rosario | 790,314 |
Median family income per person (pesos a month) (Q1 2026)
Rio Gallegos ranks 5 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median family income per person (pesos a month) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Río Cuarto | 700,000 |
| 3 | Ushuaia-Río Grande | 700,000 |
| 4 | Bahía Blanca-Cerri | 650,000 |
| 5 | Rio Gallegos | 650,000 |
| 6 | Santa Rosa-Toay | 640,000 |
| 7 | Rawson-Trelew-Playa Unión | 632,160 |
| 8 | Comodoro Rivadavia-Rada Tilly | 627,778 |
Mean main-job income of earners (pesos a month) (Q1 2026)
Rio Gallegos ranks 5 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Mean main-job income of earners (pesos a month) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Ushuaia-Río Grande | 1,741,289 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa-Toay | 1,382,784 |
| 4 | Comodoro Rivadavia-Rada Tilly | 1,345,933 |
| 5 | Rio Gallegos | 1,318,559 |
| 6 | Rawson-Trelew-Playa Unión | 1,297,038 |
| 7 | Bahía Blanca-Cerri | 1,219,525 |
| 8 | Río Cuarto | 1,209,353 |
Share of income received by the richest tenth (Q1 2026)
Rio Gallegos ranks 29 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Share of income received by the richest tenth |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | Tucumán-Tafí Viejo | 27.8% |
| 25 | Mar del Plata-Batán | 27.6% |
| 26 | Río Cuarto | 27.5% |
| 27 | Santiago del Estero-La Banda | 27.2% |
| 28 | Comodoro Rivadavia-Rada Tilly | 25.8% |
| 29 | Rio Gallegos | 25.1% |
| 30 | La Rioja | 22.9% |
Households connected to a public sewer (Q1 2026)
Rio Gallegos ranks 3 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Households connected to a public sewer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Luis - El Chorrillo | 98.8% |
| 2 | Ushuaia-Río Grande | 98.1% |
| 3 | Rio Gallegos | 97.4% |
| 4 | San Salvador de Jujuy-Palpalá | 96.8% |
| 5 | Comodoro Rivadavia-Rada Tilly | 96.5% |
| 6 | San Nicolás-Villa Constitución | 95.5% |
| 7 | Rawson-Trelew-Playa Unión | 95.4% |
Households cooking with piped gas (Q1 2026)
Rio Gallegos ranks 1 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Households cooking with piped gas |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rio Gallegos | 99.7% |
| 2 | Ushuaia-Río Grande | 96.0% |
| 3 | Rawson-Trelew-Playa Unión | 94.3% |
| 4 | Santa Rosa-Toay | 94.2% |
| 5 | Neuquén-Plottier | 94.1% |
| 6 | Comodoro Rivadavia-Rada Tilly | 88.7% |
| 7 | Mendoza | 82.2% |
More on Rio Gallegos: 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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