Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income): Employment in industry (% of total employment) was 26.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, employment in industry (% of total employment) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) stood at 26.8%.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 4.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in industry (% of total employment) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) peaked at 26.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 23.8%, in 1998.
That places Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) 8th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 24.8% | — |
| 1992 | 24.8% | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 24.3% | -2.0% |
| 1994 | 23.8% | -1.9% |
| 1995 | 24.2% | +1.7% |
| 1996 | 24.6% | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 24.6% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 23.8% | -3.3% |
| 1999 | 23.8% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 24.0% | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 24.0% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 23.9% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 23.9% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 23.9% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 24.3% | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 24.6% | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 24.8% | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 24.6% | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 24.9% | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 25.6% | +2.7% |
| 2011 | 25.1% | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 25.4% | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 25.3% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 25.4% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 25.7% | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 25.4% | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 25.8% | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 26.1% | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 26.0% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 26.2% | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 26.7% | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 26.8% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 26.8% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 26.8% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 26.8% | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 24.3% | 23.8% | 24.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 24.3% | 23.9% | 24.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.6% | 25.1% | 26.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.7% | 26.2% | 26.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
More work & labour data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 75.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 50.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 13.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 32.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 19.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 44.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 47.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 71.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 17.7% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 25.1% (2025)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in industry (% of total employment) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) was 26.8% 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 26.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest employment in industry (% of total employment) recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.8% in 1998.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) rank for employment in industry (% of total employment)?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 8th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is employment in industry (% of total employment) rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) 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).