Employment by status in India
India: Employment by status was 24.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Employment by status in India, 1991–2024
Source: International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, employment by status in India stood at 24.6%. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.1% on the previous year and up 23.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment by status in India peaked at 24.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 13.0%, in 1991.
That places India 158th out of 186 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Employment by status in India, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 13.0% | — |
| 1992 | 13.3% | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 13.5% | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 13.7% | +1.8% |
| 1995 | 14.0% | +2.0% |
| 1996 | 14.3% | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 14.5% | +1.7% |
| 1998 | 14.8% | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 15.0% | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 15.3% | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 15.4% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 15.4% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 15.5% | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 15.6% | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 15.8% | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 16.0% | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 16.2% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 16.3% | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 16.4% | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 16.6% | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 17.8% | +7.2% |
| 2012 | 18.9% | +6.6% |
| 2013 | 19.4% | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 19.9% | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 20.5% | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 21.0% | +2.8% |
| 2017 | 21.6% | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 22.2% | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 22.8% | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 22.8% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 23.3% | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 23.1% | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 23.9% | +3.2% |
| 2024 | 24.6% | +3.1% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 24.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 35.3%, 70% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- India's 24.6% is below the median for South Asia, which is 34.3%, 72% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 14.0% | 13.0% | 15.0% | 9 |
| 2000s | 15.8% | 15.3% | 16.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.1% | 16.6% | 22.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 23.6% | 22.8% | 24.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near India
- 155 Solomon Islands 29.9% compare
- 156 Cote d'Ivoire 28.7% compare
- 157 East Timor 24.9% compare
- 159 Guinea-Bissau 24.3% compare
- 160 Angola 24.1% compare
- 161 Haiti 23.2% compare
More work & labour data for India
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.5076 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.5076 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.5078 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.12 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.47 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 876,613 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 782,365 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 743,542 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 761,710 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 1.51 million 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment by status in India?
- Employment by status in India was 24.6% in 2024, according to International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment by status recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 24.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest employment by status recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.0% in 1991.
- How does India rank for employment by status?
- India ranks 158th out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
- Is employment by status rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Employment by status. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of people in employment working as employees, as a percentage of total employment.