Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Europe & Central Asia
Europe & Central Asia: Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) was 12.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Europe & Central Asia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Europe & Central Asia is 12.9%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 12.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Europe & Central Asia peaked at 17.9% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 12.9%, in 2025.
That places Europe & Central Asia 40th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Europe & Central Asia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 16.7% | — |
| 1992 | 17.0% | +2.0% |
| 1993 | 17.2% | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 17.6% | +2.4% |
| 1995 | 17.8% | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 17.8% | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 17.9% | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 17.8% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 17.5% | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 17.2% | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 17.2% | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 16.7% | -3.1% |
| 2003 | 16.6% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 16.2% | -2.7% |
| 2005 | 15.8% | -2.1% |
| 2006 | 15.5% | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 15.2% | -2.3% |
| 2008 | 14.9% | -1.8% |
| 2009 | 15.1% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 15.2% | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 15.2% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 15.1% | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 15.1% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 15.0% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 14.8% | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 14.6% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 14.4% | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 14.2% | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 14.0% | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 14.0% | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 13.7% | -2.4% |
| 2022 | 13.3% | -2.9% |
| 2023 | 13.0% | -1.6% |
| 2024 | 13.0% | -0.6% |
| 2025 | 12.9% | -0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 17.5% | 16.7% | 17.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 16.0% | 14.9% | 17.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.8% | 14.0% | 15.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.3% | 12.9% | 14.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia
- 37 Senegal 63.0% compare
- 38 Myanmar 62.9% compare
- 39 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 62.7% compare
- 40 Ghana 60.0% compare
- 41 Malawi 59.9% compare
- 42 Timor-Leste 58.6% compare
- 43 Republic of Moldova 58.6% compare
More work & labour data for Europe & Central Asia
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 51.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 58.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 35.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 44.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 40.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 66.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 72.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 79.3% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 78.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 65.9% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Europe & Central Asia?
- Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Europe & Central Asia was 12.9% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) recorded in Europe & Central Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 17.9% in 1997.
- What is the lowest vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) recorded in Europe & Central Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.9% in 2025.
- How does Europe & Central Asia rank for vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment)?
- Europe & Central Asia ranks 40th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Vulnerable employment is contributing family workers and own-account workers as a percentage of total employment.