Employment in services (% of total employment) in Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste: Employment in services (% of total employment) was 50.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in services (% of total employment) in Timor-Leste, 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 Timor-Leste 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 Timor-Leste peaked at 50.6% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 33.8%, in 1991.
That places Timor-Leste 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) in Timor-Leste, 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% |
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 Timor-Leste
- 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 Timor-Leste
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 667.78 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 321 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 67.53 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.18 % change on previous year (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 66.34 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 2.55 % change on previous year (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 11,687 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 3,450 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.22 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 1.77 (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in services (% of total employment) in Timor-Leste?
- Employment in services (% of total employment) in Timor-Leste 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 Timor-Leste?
- The highest recorded value was 50.6% in 2021.
- What is the lowest employment in services (% of total employment) recorded in Timor-Leste?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.8% in 1991.
- How does Timor-Leste rank for employment in services (% of total employment)?
- Timor-Leste ranks 127th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment in services (% of total employment) rising or falling in Timor-Leste?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Timor-Leste 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).