SDG indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of employees in India
India: SDG indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of employees was 91.72 in 2025. ▲ Rising
SDG indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of employees in India, 2018–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees in India is 91.72, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.
That represents a change of up 7.0% on the previous year and up 42.8% over ten years.
That places India 32nd out of 68 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
SDG indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of employees in India, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 64.24 | — |
| 2019 | 64.62 | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 70.75 | +9.5% |
| 2021 | 72.58 | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 77.3 | +6.5% |
| 2023 | 81.81 | +5.8% |
| 2024 | 85.7 | +4.8% |
| 2025 | 91.72 | +7.0% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 91.72 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 73.82, 1.2× the median. (17 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 64.43 | 64.24 | 64.62 | 2 |
| 2020s | 79.98 | 70.75 | 91.72 | 6 |
Countries ranked near India
More work & labour data for India
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.5076 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.5076 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.5078 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.12 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.47 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 876,613 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 782,365 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 743,542 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 761,710 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 1.51 million 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees in India?
- Sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees in India was 91.72 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 91.72 in 2025.
- What is the lowest sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 64.24 in 2018.
- How does India rank for sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees?
- India ranks 32nd out of 68 countries with data for 2025.
- Is sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 42.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of SDG indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of employees (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Data may differ from nationally reported figures and the Global SDG Indicators Database due to differences in sources and/or reference years. This indicator presents data by sex on employees' average hourly earnings. The concept of earnings, as applied in wage statistics, relates to gross remuneration in cash and in kind paid to employees, as a rule at regular intervals, for time worked or work done together with remuneration for time not worked, such as annual vacation, other type of paid leave or holidays. Earnings exclude employers' contributions in respect of their employees paid to social security and pension schemes and also the benefits received by employees under these schemes. Earnings also exclude severance and termination pay. Data are also disaggregated by occupation. Statistics on average hourly earnings by sex are the basis for the calculation of the gender pay gap. Data disaggregated by occupation are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO). Data may have been regrouped from the national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISCO. For more information, refer to the Labour Market-related SDG Indicators (ILOSDG) database description.