Share of workers in vulnerable employment in Democratic Republic of Congo

Democratic Republic of Congo: Share of workers in vulnerable employment was 81.5% in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)
81.5%
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
10th
of 186 countries
All-time high
83.1%
in 2020
All-time low
78.8%
in 1991
Years of data
35
1991–2025

Share of workers in vulnerable employment in Democratic Republic of Congo, 1991–2025

0204060801991200820251991: 78.8 %1992: 79.3 %1993: 79.9 %1994: 80.4 %1995: 80.9 %1996: 81.1 %1997: 81.4 %1998: 81.7 %1999: 81.9 %2000: 82.1 %2001: 82.2 %2002: 82.3 %2003: 82.3 %2004: 82.2 %2005: 82 %2006: 81.8 %2007: 81.6 %2008: 81.3 %2009: 81.2 %2010: 80.9 %2011: 80.8 %2012: 80.6 %2013: 80.8 %2014: 80.9 %2015: 81 %2016: 81.2 %2017: 81.4 %2018: 81.7 %2019: 82 %2020: 83.1 %2021: 82.6 %2022: 82.3 %2023: 82.1 %2024: 81.8 %2025: 81.5 %

Source: International Labour Organization (ILOEST/ILOSTAT) and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Democratic Republic of Congo recorded 81.5% for share of workers in vulnerable employment in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 0.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of workers in vulnerable employment in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 83.1% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 78.8%, in 1991.

Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 10th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 80.6% 78.8% 81.9% 9
2000s 81.9% 81.2% 82.3% 10
2010s 81.1% 80.6% 82.0% 10
2020s 82.2% 81.5% 83.1% 6

Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo

  1. 7 Burundi 83.7% compare
  2. 8 Tanzania 83.7% compare
  3. 9 Afghanistan 81.8% compare
  4. 11 Burkina Faso 80.6% compare
  5. 12 South Sudan 80.3% compare
  6. 13 Central African Republic 79.4% compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More work & labour data for Democratic Republic of Congo

All data for Democratic Republic of Congo →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of workers in vulnerable employment in Democratic Republic of Congo?
Share of workers in vulnerable employment in Democratic Republic of Congo was 81.5% 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 Democratic Republic of Congo?
The highest recorded value was 83.1% in 2020.
What is the lowest share of workers in vulnerable employment recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
The lowest recorded value was 78.8% in 1991.
How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for share of workers in vulnerable employment?
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 10th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
Is share of workers in vulnerable employment rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo 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.

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About this data

Indicator
Share of workers in vulnerable employment
Unit
%
Source
International Labour Organization (ILOEST/ILOSTAT) and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
186 places, 6,496 data points, 1991–2025
Last refreshed

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).