Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Employment in industry (% of total employment) was 18.9% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Afghanistan, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, employment in industry (% of total employment) in Afghanistan stood at 18.9%.
The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 16.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in industry (% of total employment) in Afghanistan peaked at 23.9% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 12.6%, in 1991.
That places Afghanistan 94th out of 187 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 in industry (% of total employment) in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 12.6% | — |
| 1992 | 12.9% | +2.6% |
| 1993 | 13.0% | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 13.1% | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 13.4% | +2.2% |
| 1996 | 13.3% | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 13.2% | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 13.1% | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 13.0% | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 12.9% | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 12.6% | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 13.0% | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 13.2% | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 13.2% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 13.5% | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 13.7% | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 14.0% | +2.4% |
| 2008 | 14.3% | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 15.7% | +10.1% |
| 2010 | 17.0% | +8.0% |
| 2011 | 17.6% | +3.4% |
| 2012 | 18.9% | +7.7% |
| 2013 | 21.3% | +12.8% |
| 2014 | 23.9% | +11.8% |
| 2015 | 22.6% | -5.2% |
| 2016 | 21.3% | -5.6% |
| 2017 | 20.2% | -5.4% |
| 2018 | 19.4% | -4.1% |
| 2019 | 18.6% | -4.0% |
| 2020 | 18.5% | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 19.6% | +6.1% |
| 2022 | 19.0% | -3.0% |
| 2023 | 19.2% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 19.0% | -0.9% |
| 2025 | 18.9% | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13.1% | 12.6% | 13.4% | 9 |
| 2000s | 13.6% | 12.6% | 15.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.1% | 17.0% | 23.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.0% | 18.5% | 19.6% | 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 in industry (% of total employment) in Afghanistan?
- Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Afghanistan was 18.9% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment in industry (% of total employment) recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 23.9% in 2014.
- What is the lowest employment in industry (% of total employment) recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.6% in 1991.
- How does Afghanistan rank for employment in industry (% of total employment)?
- Afghanistan ranks 94th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment in industry (% of total employment) rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment in industry (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Employment is defined as persons of working age who were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period or not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangement. The industry sector consists of mining and quarrying, manufacturing, construction, and public utilities (electricity, gas, and water), in accordance with divisions 2-5 (ISIC 2) or categories C-F (ISIC 3) or categories B-F (ISIC 4).