Employment in services (% of total employment) in Hong Kong, China
Hong Kong, China: Employment in services (% of total employment) was 85.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in services (% of total employment) in Hong Kong, China, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, employment in services (% of total employment) in Hong Kong, China stood at 85.8%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 0.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in services (% of total employment) in Hong Kong, China peaked at 86.3% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 63.7%, in 1991.
That places Hong Kong, China 5th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in services (% of total employment) in Hong Kong, China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 63.7% | — |
| 1992 | 65.7% | +3.1% |
| 1993 | 69.1% | +5.2% |
| 1994 | 71.1% | +2.9% |
| 1995 | 72.0% | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 73.4% | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 74.8% | +1.9% |
| 1998 | 76.5% | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 77.9% | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 78.7% | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 79.8% | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 80.8% | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 82.0% | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 83.5% | +1.8% |
| 2005 | 84.0% | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 84.4% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 85.0% | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 85.6% | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 85.9% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 86.0% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 86.0% | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 85.9% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 85.8% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 85.8% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 86.1% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 85.7% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 85.7% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 85.8% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 86.1% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 86.3% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 86.2% | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 85.8% | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 85.8% | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 85.7% | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 85.8% | +0.1% |
Hong Kong, China compared with similar countries
- Hong Kong, China's 85.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 74.5%, 1.2× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Hong Kong, China's 85.8% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 55.3%, 1.6× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 71.6% | 63.7% | 77.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 83.0% | 78.7% | 85.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 85.9% | 85.7% | 86.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 85.9% | 85.7% | 86.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Hong Kong, China
- 2 Luxembourg 91.5% compare
- 3 Macau, China 88.6% compare
- 4 Singapore 85.9% compare
- 6 Channel Islands 85.3% compare
- 7 Netherlands 84.5% compare
- 8 Bahamas 84.4% compare
More work & labour data for Hong Kong, China
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 2,981 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 55.13 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 3,663 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 2.78 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.06 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 149,185 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 100,833 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 53.6 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.56 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate -1.12 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in services (% of total employment) in Hong Kong, China?
- Employment in services (% of total employment) in Hong Kong, China was 85.8% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment in services (% of total employment) recorded in Hong Kong, China?
- The highest recorded value was 86.3% in 2020.
- What is the lowest employment in services (% of total employment) recorded in Hong Kong, China?
- The lowest recorded value was 63.7% in 1991.
- How does Hong Kong, China rank for employment in services (% of total employment)?
- Hong Kong, China ranks 5th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment in services (% of total employment) rising or falling in Hong Kong, China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Hong Kong, China data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment in services (% 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 services sector consists of wholesale and retail trade and restaurants and hotels; transport, storage, and communications; financing, insurance, real estate, and business services; and community, social, and personal services, in accordance with divisions 6-9 (ISIC 2) or categories G-Q (ISIC 3) or categories G-U (ISIC 4).