Share of workers in vulnerable employment in Pakistan
Pakistan: Share of workers in vulnerable employment was 55.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Share of workers in vulnerable employment in Pakistan, 1991–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILOEST/ILOSTAT) and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Pakistan recorded 55.5% for share of workers in vulnerable employment in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 6.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of workers in vulnerable employment in Pakistan peaked at 65.8% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 55.5%, in 2025.
That places Pakistan 48th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 64.8% | 62.7% | 65.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 60.2% | 58.1% | 63.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 58.4% | 55.6% | 59.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 56.2% | 55.5% | 57.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
- 45 Bangladesh 57.3% compare
- 46 Comoros 56.8% compare
- 47 North Korea 56.8% compare
- 49 Azerbaijan 53.8% compare
- 50 Mauritania 53.3% compare
- 51 Cambodia 52.3% compare
More work & labour data for Pakistan
- 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+) 52.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 80.1% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 30.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 24.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-6 54.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 83.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 25.6% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of workers in vulnerable employment in Pakistan?
- Share of workers in vulnerable employment in Pakistan was 55.5% 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 Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 65.8% in 1991.
- What is the lowest share of workers in vulnerable employment recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 55.5% in 2025.
- How does Pakistan rank for share of workers in vulnerable employment?
- Pakistan ranks 48th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of workers in vulnerable employment rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Pakistan 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).