Employment in services (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) in East Timor
East Timor: Employment in services (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) was 50.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in services (% of total employment) in East Timor, 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 East Timor is 50.2%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 18.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in services (% of total employment) in East Timor peaked at 50.6% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 33.8%, in 1991.
That places East Timor 127th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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) (modeled ILO estimate) in East Timor, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 33.8% | — |
| 1992 | 34.1% | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 34.3% | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 34.7% | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 35.0% | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 35.3% | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 35.4% | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 35.5% | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 35.3% | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 36.6% | +3.7% |
| 2001 | 37.4% | +2.2% |
| 2002 | 37.4% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 37.7% | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 37.7% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 38.1% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 38.2% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 38.7% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 38.9% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 39.6% | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 39.9% | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 40.4% | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 40.5% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 40.8% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 41.4% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 42.2% | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 42.7% | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 44.5% | +4.0% |
| 2018 | 46.0% | +3.5% |
| 2019 | 47.4% | +2.9% |
| 2020 | 48.8% | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 50.6% | +3.8% |
| 2022 | 47.6% | -6.0% |
| 2023 | 48.5% | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 49.8% | +2.7% |
| 2025 | 50.2% | +0.7% |
East Timor compared with similar countries
- East Timor's 50.2% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 46.5%, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- East Timor's 50.2% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 55.3%, 91% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 34.8% | 33.8% | 35.5% | 9 |
| 2000s | 38.0% | 36.6% | 39.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 42.6% | 39.9% | 47.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 49.3% | 47.6% | 50.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near East Timor
- 124 Liberia 50.5% compare
- 125 Azerbaijan 50.2% compare
- 126 Uzbekistan 50.2% compare
- 128 Indonesia 50.2% compare
- 129 Solomon Islands 50.0% compare
- 130 Mongolia 49.9% compare
More work & labour data for East Timor
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 321 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 67.53 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 667.78 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 1.77 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.22 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 11,687 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 3,450 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 66.34 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.18 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 2.55 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in services (% of total employment) in East Timor?
- Employment in services (% of total employment) in East Timor was 50.2% 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 East Timor?
- The highest recorded value was 50.6% in 2021.
- What is the lowest employment in services (% of total employment) recorded in East Timor?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.8% in 1991.
- How does East Timor rank for employment in services (% of total employment)?
- East Timor ranks 127th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment in services (% of total employment) rising or falling in East Timor?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this East Timor 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).