Employment (ILO modelled estimates) in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Employment (ILO modelled estimates) was 8,174 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment (ILO modelled estimates) in Afghanistan, 1991–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 8,174 for employment (ilo modelled estimates) in 2025.
The figure is up 3.5% on the previous year and up 4.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment (ilo modelled estimates) in Afghanistan peaked at 8,192 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 2,769, in 1991.
That places Afghanistan 63rd out of 188 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment (ILO modelled estimates) in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2,769 | — |
| 1992 | 2,990 | +8.0% |
| 1993 | 3,349 | +12.0% |
| 1994 | 3,621 | +8.1% |
| 1995 | 3,778 | +4.3% |
| 1996 | 3,905 | +3.4% |
| 1997 | 4,029 | +3.2% |
| 1998 | 4,155 | +3.1% |
| 1999 | 4,285 | +3.1% |
| 2000 | 4,314 | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 4,328 | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 4,558 | +5.3% |
| 2003 | 4,847 | +6.3% |
| 2004 | 5,034 | +3.8% |
| 2005 | 5,225 | +3.8% |
| 2006 | 5,468 | +4.6% |
| 2007 | 5,612 | +2.6% |
| 2008 | 5,780 | +3.0% |
| 2009 | 6,051 | +4.7% |
| 2010 | 6,291 | +4.0% |
| 2011 | 6,590 | +4.8% |
| 2012 | 6,926 | +5.1% |
| 2013 | 7,235 | +4.5% |
| 2014 | 7,578 | +4.7% |
| 2015 | 7,801 | +2.9% |
| 2016 | 7,985 | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 8,192 | +2.6% |
| 2018 | 8,184 | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 8,164 | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 8,000 | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 8,032 | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 7,402 | -7.8% |
| 2023 | 7,607 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | 7,894 | +3.8% |
| 2025 | 8,174 | +3.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3,654 | 2,769 | 4,285 | 9 |
| 2000s | 5,122 | 4,314 | 6,051 | 10 |
| 2010s | 7,495 | 6,291 | 8,192 | 10 |
| 2020s | 7,852 | 7,402 | 8,174 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More work & labour data for Afghanistan
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.4637 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.4511 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.4755 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.088 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.67 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 25,498 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 36,430 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 65,039 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 65,177 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 130,217 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment (ilo modelled estimates) in Afghanistan?
- Employment (ilo modelled estimates) in Afghanistan was 8,174 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 8,192 in 2017.
- What is the lowest employment (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,769 in 1991.
- How does Afghanistan rank for employment (ilo modelled estimates)?
- Afghanistan ranks 63rd out of 188 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment (ilo modelled estimates) rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Employment (ILO modelled estimates) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. The employed comprise all persons of working age who, during a specified brief period, were in one of the following categories: a) paid employment (whether at work or with a job but not at work); or b) self-employment (whether at work or with an enterprise but not at work). Data disaggregated by status in employment are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Classification of Status in Employment (ICSE-93). Data may have been regrouped from the national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ICSE. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.