Employment in industry (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Employment in industry (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) was 23.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Saudi Arabia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Saudi Arabia recorded 23.1% for employment in industry (% of total employment) in 2025.
The figure is down 12.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in industry (% of total employment) in Saudi Arabia peaked at 26.4% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 16.9%, in 2022.
Saudi Arabia ranks 57th of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in industry (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 25.5% | — |
| 1992 | 25.9% | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 26.1% | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 26.1% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 25.9% | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 25.9% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 25.7% | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 25.8% | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 25.5% | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 25.4% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 25.3% | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 25.1% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 25.4% | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 25.7% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 25.7% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 25.6% | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 25.7% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 25.8% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 25.6% | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 25.9% | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 26.3% | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 26.3% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 26.2% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 26.3% | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 26.4% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 26.4% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 26.3% | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 25.7% | -2.6% |
| 2019 | 24.3% | -5.1% |
| 2020 | 22.9% | -6.0% |
| 2021 | 19.5% | -14.7% |
| 2022 | 16.9% | -13.6% |
| 2023 | 23.1% | +36.6% |
| 2024 | 23.1% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 23.1% | +0.0% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 23.1% is above the median for high income countries, which is 19.9%, 1.2× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 23.1% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 25.2%, 92% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Employment in industry (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) in Saudi Arabia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | +36.6% | 16.9% | 23.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 25.8% | 25.5% | 26.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 25.5% | 25.1% | 25.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.0% | 24.3% | 26.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.4% | 16.9% | 23.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More work & labour data for Saudi Arabia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.6339 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.5946 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.6842 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.31 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.5985 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 40,709 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 4,348 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 31,198 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 39,809 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 71,007 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in industry (% of total employment) in Saudi Arabia?
- Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Saudi Arabia was 23.1% 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 Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 26.4% in 2015.
- What is the lowest employment in industry (% of total employment) recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.9% in 2022.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for employment in industry (% of total employment)?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 57th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment in industry (% of total employment) rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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).