Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan: Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) was 36.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan recorded 36.1% for vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.6% on the previous year and down 4.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan peaked at 44.7% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 36.1%, in 2025.
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 27th of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 44.7% | — |
| 1992 | 44.4% | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 44.3% | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 43.9% | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 43.7% | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 43.6% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 42.8% | -1.8% |
| 1998 | 43.0% | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 42.6% | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 42.6% | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 42.2% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 41.1% | -2.7% |
| 2003 | 41.2% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 41.8% | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 40.3% | -3.5% |
| 2006 | 39.8% | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 39.9% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 39.6% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 39.4% | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 39.0% | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 38.6% | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 37.9% | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 38.3% | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 38.0% | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 37.8% | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 37.4% | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 37.2% | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 36.4% | -2.1% |
| 2019 | 37.4% | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 37.1% | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 37.1% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 36.5% | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 36.4% | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 36.3% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 36.1% | -0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 43.7% | 42.6% | 44.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 40.8% | 39.4% | 42.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 37.8% | 36.4% | 39.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.6% | 36.1% | 37.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
- 24 Uganda 74.4% compare
- 25 India 71.6% compare
- 26 Papua New Guinea 71.2% compare
- 27 Zambia 70.2% compare
- 28 Cote d'Ivoire 69.4% compare
- 29 Bhutan 69.0% compare
- 30 Solomon Islands 68.7% compare
More work & labour data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 19.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 47.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 14.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 50.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 32.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 21.2% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 29.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 73.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 76.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 50.2% (2025)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan →
Frequently asked questions
- What is vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan was 36.1% 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 44.7% in 1991.
- What is the lowest vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.1% in 2025.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan rank for vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment)?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 27th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 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.
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About this data
Vulnerable employment is contributing family workers and own-account workers as a percentage of total employment.