Share of workers in vulnerable employment in East Timor
East Timor: Share of workers in vulnerable employment was 58.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Share of workers in vulnerable employment in East Timor, 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 East Timor stood at 58.6%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of workers in vulnerable employment in East Timor peaked at 63.4% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 57.0%, in 2019.
East Timor ranks 42nd of 186 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Share of workers in vulnerable employment in East Timor, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 63.4% | — |
| 1992 | 63.0% | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 62.6% | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 62.4% | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 62.2% | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 61.9% | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 61.7% | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 61.9% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 61.7% | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 61.3% | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 61.0% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 60.8% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 60.8% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 61.0% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 61.0% | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 61.0% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 60.9% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 60.6% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 60.3% | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 60.0% | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 59.4% | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 59.1% | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 58.5% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 58.4% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 58.0% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 57.8% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 57.9% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 57.9% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 57.0% | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 57.6% | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 57.2% | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 57.3% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 58.8% | +2.6% |
| 2024 | 58.8% | -0.0% |
| 2025 | 58.6% | -0.3% |
East Timor compared with similar countries
- East Timor's 58.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 59.3%, 99% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- East Timor's 58.6% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 33.6%, 1.7× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 62.3% | 61.7% | 63.4% | 9 |
| 2000s | 60.9% | 60.3% | 61.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 58.4% | 57.0% | 60.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 58.1% | 57.2% | 58.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near East Timor
More work & labour data for East Timor
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 321 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 67.53 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 667.78 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 1.77 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.22 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 11,687 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 3,450 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 66.34 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.18 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 2.55 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of workers in vulnerable employment in East Timor?
- Share of workers in vulnerable employment in East Timor was 58.6% 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 East Timor?
- The highest recorded value was 63.4% in 1991.
- What is the lowest share of workers in vulnerable employment recorded in East Timor?
- The lowest recorded value was 57.0% in 2019.
- How does East Timor rank for share of workers in vulnerable employment?
- East Timor ranks 42nd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of workers in vulnerable employment rising or falling in East Timor?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this East Timor 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
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).