Share of workers in vulnerable employment in Maldives
Maldives: Share of workers in vulnerable employment was 16.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Share of workers in vulnerable employment in Maldives, 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 Maldives stood at 16.9%. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 16.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of workers in vulnerable employment in Maldives peaked at 33.7% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 16.9%, in 2025.
Maldives ranks 127th 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 Maldives, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 33.7% | — |
| 1992 | 33.4% | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 33.2% | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 33.0% | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 32.7% | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 32.4% | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 32.2% | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 31.9% | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 31.7% | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 31.5% | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 31.3% | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 31.1% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 30.8% | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 30.5% | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 30.4% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 30.1% | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 29.7% | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 29.3% | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 28.9% | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 27.4% | -5.4% |
| 2011 | 25.7% | -6.1% |
| 2012 | 24.0% | -6.6% |
| 2013 | 22.2% | -7.3% |
| 2014 | 20.4% | -8.1% |
| 2015 | 20.2% | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 19.9% | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 19.5% | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 19.1% | -2.0% |
| 2019 | 18.7% | -2.0% |
| 2020 | 18.3% | -2.1% |
| 2021 | 17.9% | -2.3% |
| 2022 | 17.7% | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 17.5% | -1.4% |
| 2024 | 17.2% | -1.6% |
| 2025 | 16.9% | -1.7% |
Maldives compared with similar countries
- Maldives's 16.9% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 29.8%, 57% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Maldives's 16.9% is below the median for South Asia, which is 63.2%, 27% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 32.7% | 31.7% | 33.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 30.4% | 28.9% | 31.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.7% | 18.7% | 27.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.6% | 16.9% | 18.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Maldives
More work & labour data for Maldives
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.3002 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.4913 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.1384 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.545 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.23 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 310.55 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 265.89 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 257.6 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 217.32 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 474.92 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of workers in vulnerable employment in Maldives?
- Share of workers in vulnerable employment in Maldives was 16.9% 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 Maldives?
- The highest recorded value was 33.7% in 1991.
- What is the lowest share of workers in vulnerable employment recorded in Maldives?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.9% in 2025.
- How does Maldives rank for share of workers in vulnerable employment?
- Maldives ranks 127th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of workers in vulnerable employment rising or falling in Maldives?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Maldives 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).