Share of workers in vulnerable employment in Nepal
Nepal: Share of workers in vulnerable employment was 77.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Share of workers in vulnerable employment in Nepal, 1991–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILOEST/ILOSTAT) and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Nepal recorded 77.0% for share of workers in vulnerable employment in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 3.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of workers in vulnerable employment in Nepal peaked at 86.2% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 77.0%, in 2025.
That places Nepal 16th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 85.2% | 84.2% | 86.2% | 9 |
| 2000s | 82.9% | 81.8% | 83.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 80.1% | 78.5% | 81.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 77.7% | 77.0% | 78.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
More work & labour data for Nepal
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Criminal sanctions or compensation for workplace sexual harassment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 39.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 52.9% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 51.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 27.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-6 41.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 56.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 29.6% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of workers in vulnerable employment in Nepal?
- Share of workers in vulnerable employment in Nepal was 77.0% 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 Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 86.2% in 1991.
- What is the lowest share of workers in vulnerable employment recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 77.0% in 2025.
- How does Nepal rank for share of workers in vulnerable employment?
- Nepal ranks 16th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of workers in vulnerable employment rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nepal 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).