Employment in services (% of total employment) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan: Employment in services (% of total employment) was 51.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in services (% of total employment) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for employment in services (% of total employment) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan is 51.7%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 6.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in services (% of total employment) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan peaked at 51.7% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 41.3%, in 1992.
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 20th of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in services (% of total employment) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 41.4% | — |
| 1992 | 41.3% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 42.4% | +2.7% |
| 1994 | 42.3% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 43.2% | +2.0% |
| 1996 | 43.3% | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 44.5% | +2.9% |
| 1998 | 44.6% | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 44.8% | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 44.4% | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 44.8% | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 45.5% | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 45.6% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 45.3% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 45.5% | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 45.5% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 45.5% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 45.7% | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 46.5% | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 46.5% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 47.0% | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 47.4% | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 47.8% | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 48.1% | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 48.6% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 48.7% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 49.2% | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 50.4% | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 50.4% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 50.3% | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 50.6% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 51.3% | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 51.2% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 51.4% | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 51.7% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 43.1% | 41.3% | 44.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 45.4% | 44.4% | 46.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.4% | 46.5% | 50.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 51.1% | 50.3% | 51.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
More work & labour data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 19.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 47.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 14.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 50.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 32.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 21.2% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 29.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 73.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 76.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 50.2% (2025)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan →
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in services (% of total employment) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- Employment in services (% of total employment) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan was 51.7% 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 51.7% in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment in services (% of total employment) recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 41.3% in 1992.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan rank for employment in services (% of total employment)?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 20th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is employment in services (% of total employment) rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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).