Employment in services (% of total employment) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Employment in services (% of total employment) was 83.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in services (% of total employment) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, employment in services (% of total employment) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 83.2%. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 3.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in services (% of total employment) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 83.2% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 66.8%, in 1991.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 12th 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 66.8% | — |
| 1992 | 67.8% | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 68.3% | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 69.8% | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 70.2% | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 70.3% | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 71.0% | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 71.3% | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 72.4% | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 73.0% | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 73.7% | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 74.4% | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 75.2% | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 76.2% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 76.5% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 76.6% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 76.5% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 77.2% | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 79.3% | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 79.6% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 79.6% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 79.8% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 80.1% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 79.8% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 80.2% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 80.4% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 80.6% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 80.8% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 80.7% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 81.8% | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 82.2% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 82.5% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 83.2% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 83.0% | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 83.2% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 69.8% | 66.8% | 72.4% | 9 |
| 2000s | 75.9% | 73.0% | 79.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 80.2% | 79.6% | 80.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 82.7% | 81.8% | 83.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- 9 Puerto Rico 84.1% compare
- 10 Israel 84.1% compare
- 11 French Polynesia 83.7% compare
- 13 Barbados 82.6% compare
- 14 United States Virgin Islands 81.9% compare
- 15 Cyprus 81.6% compare
More work & labour data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 22,956 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 60.91 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 35,770 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 4.93 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.07 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 111,361 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 100,223 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 57.91 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.47 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.4352 % change on previous year (2027)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in services (% of total employment) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Employment in services (% of total employment) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 83.2% 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 83.2% in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment in services (% of total employment) recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 66.8% in 1991.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for employment in services (% of total employment)?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 12th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment in services (% of total employment) rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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).