India: Employers, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, India's employers, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) fell 0.01 percentage points on 2024 (from 3.33% to 3.32%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +0.08 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.16 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 0.77 percentage points in 2022 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.04 percentage points in 1999. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.2 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 87% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2025, India had the 99th highest value of the 182 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to India in the 2025 ranking

• Canada — 95th of 182: 3.35%
• Jordan — 96th of 182: 3.35%
• Slovenia — 97th of 182: 3.35%
• Argentina — 99th of 182: 3.31%
• Tajikistan — 100th of 182: 3.28%
• Costa Rica — 101st of 182: 3.23%

What this measures

Employers are those workers who, working on their own account or with one or a few partners, hold the type of jobs defined as a "self-employment jobs" i.e. jobs where the remuneration is directly dependent upon the profits derived from the goods and services produced), and, in this capacity, have engaged, on a continuous basis, one or more persons to work for them as employee(s).

Limitations: Data are drawn from labor force surveys and household surveys, supplemented by official estimates and censuses for a small group of countries. Due to differences in definitions and coverage across countries, there are limitations for comparing data across countries and over time even within a country. Estimates of women in employment are not comparable internationally, reflecting that demographic, social, legal, and cultural trends and norms determine whether women's activities are regarded as economic.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 35 values

Employers, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) in nearby economies

• Bangladesh — 3.69% (2025)
• Bhutan — 0.48% (2025)
• Maldives — 3.14% (2025)
• Nepal — 1.6% (2025)
• Sri Lanka — 2.83% (2025)

More social protection & labor data for India

• Net migration — -495,753 (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum — 238,643 (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin — 42,610 (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 15.86% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 45.15% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 31.2% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 34.88% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is India's employers, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate)?

3.32% in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1991?

It is up 2.28 percentage points from 1.04% in 1991. The highest value was 3.36% in 2023 and the lowest 0.95% in 2001.

How does India rank?

99th highest of 182 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in employers, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) unusual for India?

In 2025, India's employers, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) fell 0.01 percentage points on 2024 (from 3.33% to 3.32%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +0.08 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.16 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SL.EMP.MPYR.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: January 17, 2026 Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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