Employment in services (% of total employment) in Pakistan
Pakistan: Employment in services (% of total employment) was 38.5% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Employment in services (% of total employment) in Pakistan, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, employment in services (% of total employment) in Pakistan stood at 38.5%.
The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 10.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in services (% of total employment) in Pakistan peaked at 39.8% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 34.1%, in 2016.
That places Pakistan 158th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Employment in services (% of total employment) in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 35.4% | — |
| 1992 | 34.7% | -1.8% |
| 1993 | 36.4% | +4.8% |
| 1994 | 35.3% | -2.9% |
| 1995 | 37.6% | +6.3% |
| 1996 | 37.5% | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 39.8% | +5.9% |
| 1998 | 38.6% | -2.9% |
| 1999 | 38.6% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 36.4% | -5.7% |
| 2001 | 36.4% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 36.6% | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 36.6% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 36.1% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 36.1% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 35.4% | -2.0% |
| 2007 | 34.9% | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 34.7% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 35.3% | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 34.8% | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 34.3% | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 34.6% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 34.8% | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 34.9% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 35.0% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 34.1% | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 35.9% | +5.0% |
| 2018 | 37.6% | +4.9% |
| 2019 | 37.4% | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 36.9% | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 37.5% | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 37.9% | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 38.1% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 38.3% | +0.5% |
| 2025 | 38.5% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 37.1% | 34.7% | 39.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 35.9% | 34.7% | 36.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.3% | 34.1% | 37.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 37.9% | 36.9% | 38.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
- 155 Côte d'Ivoire 40.3% compare
- 156 Viet Nam 40.1% compare
- 157 Tajikistan 39.1% compare
- 159 Guinea 38.5% compare
- 160 Cambodia 37.7% compare
- 161 Bangladesh 37.7% compare
More work & labour data for Pakistan
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.1692 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.1658 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.1724 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.4553 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.11 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 160,228 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 146,712 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 259,090 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 251,911 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 511,001 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in services (% of total employment) in Pakistan?
- Employment in services (% of total employment) in Pakistan was 38.5% 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 Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 39.8% in 1997.
- What is the lowest employment in services (% of total employment) recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.1% in 2016.
- How does Pakistan rank for employment in services (% of total employment)?
- Pakistan ranks 158th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment in services (% of total employment) rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this 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).