Share of workers in vulnerable employment in Brazil
Brazil: Share of workers in vulnerable employment was 26.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Share of workers in vulnerable employment in Brazil, 1991–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILOEST/ILOSTAT) and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, share of workers in vulnerable employment in Brazil stood at 26.1%.
That represents a change of down 0.9% on the previous year and down 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of workers in vulnerable employment in Brazil peaked at 30.8% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 25.3%, in 2014.
Brazil ranks 98th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Share of workers in vulnerable employment in Brazil, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 30.6% | — |
| 1992 | 30.8% | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 30.8% | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 30.6% | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 30.5% | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 29.4% | -3.5% |
| 1997 | 29.8% | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 29.9% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 30.5% | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 30.2% | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 30.0% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 30.1% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 30.2% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 29.7% | -1.6% |
| 2005 | 29.7% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 28.7% | -3.4% |
| 2007 | 28.2% | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 26.5% | -6.3% |
| 2009 | 26.2% | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 25.9% | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 25.5% | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 25.3% | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 25.4% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 25.3% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 26.3% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | 26.6% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 26.9% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 27.2% | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 27.6% | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 27.9% | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 29.4% | +5.2% |
| 2022 | 27.8% | -5.4% |
| 2023 | 27.0% | -2.9% |
| 2024 | 26.3% | -2.5% |
| 2025 | 26.1% | -0.9% |
Brazil compared with similar countries
- Brazil's 26.1% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 29.8%, 88% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Brazil's 26.1% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 26.1%, 1.0× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 30.3% | 29.4% | 30.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 28.9% | 26.2% | 30.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.2% | 25.3% | 27.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.4% | 26.1% | 29.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Brazil
More work & labour data for Brazil
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.7328 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.7065 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.7581 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.74 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.1001 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 215,063 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 17,625 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 82,304 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 81,060 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 163,364 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of workers in vulnerable employment in Brazil?
- Share of workers in vulnerable employment in Brazil was 26.1% in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILOEST/ILOSTAT) and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of workers in vulnerable employment recorded in Brazil?
- The highest recorded value was 30.8% in 1993.
- What is the lowest share of workers in vulnerable employment recorded in Brazil?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.3% in 2014.
- How does Brazil rank for share of workers in vulnerable employment?
- Brazil ranks 98th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of workers in vulnerable employment rising or falling in Brazil?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Brazil data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (ILOEST/ILOSTAT) and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of workers in vulnerable employment. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of employed population who are working as independent own-account workers (self-employed without staff), or contributing family workers (self-employed in a household business or farm).