Photo: Samuel Bristow · CC0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 03 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Venezuela: Work & Labour
Can people find work, and on what terms?
Venezuela is placed 164th of 182 countries on work & labour in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Employment-to-Population Ratio 49.17 (2025); Labour Income Share 9.691 (2025).
Share
Work & Labour
164th
of 182 countries placed
Placed from 4 of 4 key statistics
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Venezuela on work & labour — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 4
Employment-to-Population Ratio
International Labour Organization (ILO)
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 4.0
49.17
Employed share of the population aged 15+ (%)
Higher is better
Venezuela: 49.17. Across the 182 countries in this edition, values run from 21.21 (São Tomé and Príncipe) to 86.9 (Qatar); the world median is 57.72.
- World median
- 57.72
- Best in South America
- 76.29 Bolivia
- Land neighbours
- Brazil 59.37 · Colombia 58.14 · Guyana 48.41
Key 3 of 4
Unemployment Rate
International Labour Organization (ILO)
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 4.0
5.307
Unemployment (% of labour force)
Lower is better
Venezuela: 5.307. Across the 182 countries in this edition, values run from 0.13 (Qatar) to 34.2 (Eswatini); the world median is 5.084.
- World median
- 5.084
- Best in South America
- 2.967 Bolivia
- Land neighbours
- Brazil 5.97 · Colombia 8.29 · Guyana 11.96
Key 4 of 4
Vulnerable Employment
International Labour Organization (ILO)
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 4.0
37.3
Vulnerable employment (% of total employment)
Lower is better
Venezuela: 37.3. Across the 182 countries in this edition, values run from 0.456 (Qatar) to 90.22 (Chad); the world median is 28.67.
- World median
- 28.67
- Best in South America
- 18.38 Suriname
- Land neighbours
- Brazil 26.08 · Colombia 42.96 · Guyana 25.34
02Over time
Which way Venezuela is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Employment-to-Population Ratio
Employed share of the population aged 15+ (%) · higher is better
VenezuelaWorld median
Venezuela fell from 55.06 in 2000 to 49.17 in 2025; the world median went from 55.86 to 57.72.
Every year’s figures
Year Venezuela World median 2025 49.171 57.720 2024 49.280 57.694 2023 48.589 58.158 2022 48.010 57.688 2021 45.195 56.066 2020 44.550 55.691 2019 51.914 57.871 2018 55.011 56.911 2017 56.881 56.738 2016 57.930 56.845 2015 57.885 56.788 2014 57.914 56.774 2013 57.913 56.229 2012 58.948 56.289 2011 59.234 56.297 2010 59.312 56.212 2009 60.138 56.255 2008 60.279 57.308 2007 59.727 56.933 2006 59.278 56.685 2005 57.422 56.129 2004 54.102 55.465 2003 52.044 55.630 2002 53.076 55.843 2001 55.757 56.018 2000 55.057 55.861 Labour Income Share
Labour income share of GDP (%) · higher is better
VenezuelaWorld median
Venezuela fell from 38.98 in 2004 to 9.691 in 2025; the world median went from 46.01 to 46.23.
Every year’s figures
Year Venezuela World median 2025 9.69 46.230 2024 9.61 46.060 2023 9.63 45.900 2022 9.56 45.615 2021 10.11 45.433 2020 10.42 47.267 2019 10.13 46.277 2018 17.77 46.187 2017 25.39 46.467 2016 30.54 46.798 2015 31.26 46.876 2014 48.20 47.281 2013 42.38 46.887 2012 42.59 46.231 2011 39.70 45.679 2010 39.80 46.024 2009 45.99 47.071 2008 39.47 45.312 2007 41.86 45.246 2006 40.34 45.670 2005 38.05 46.265 2004 38.98 46.012 Unemployment Rate
Unemployment (% of labour force) · lower is better
VenezuelaWorld median
Venezuela fell from 13.99 in 2000 to 5.307 in 2025; the world median went from 6.918 to 5.084.
Every year’s figures
Year Venezuela World median 2025 5.307 5.08 2024 5.321 5.15 2023 5.407 5.21 2022 5.646 5.34 2021 7.027 6.04 2020 7.530 6.38 2019 5.890 5.36 2018 5.468 5.35 2017 5.045 5.59 2016 5.319 5.90 2015 6.139 6.41 2014 6.821 6.58 2013 7.540 6.71 2012 6.601 6.79 2011 6.902 6.90 2010 7.112 7.04 2009 6.097 6.67 2008 6.245 5.79 2007 7.279 6.00 2006 8.606 6.50 2005 10.663 7.09 2004 15.070 6.80 2003 16.780 6.95 2002 16.170 6.91 2001 13.040 6.96 2000 13.990 6.92 Vulnerable Employment
Vulnerable employment (% of total employment) · lower is better
VenezuelaWorld median
Venezuela rose from 35.67 in 2000 to 37.3 in 2025; the world median went from 35.67 to 28.67.
Every year’s figures
Year Venezuela World median 2025 37.30 28.67 2024 37.16 29.04 2023 37.00 29.33 2022 36.43 29.67 2021 35.42 30.01 2020 36.45 30.54 2019 35.90 29.98 2018 34.25 30.15 2017 32.71 29.93 2016 31.65 29.91 2015 31.56 30.26 2014 31.55 30.47 2013 31.63 31.14 2012 31.91 31.00 2011 33.01 31.41 2010 33.24 32.37 2009 31.44 32.59 2008 30.81 31.76 2007 29.84 33.47 2006 30.85 34.27 2005 31.60 34.66 2004 31.88 35.51 2003 34.13 35.90 2002 33.19 35.96 2001 33.14 35.27 2000 35.67 35.67
03In context
Venezuela beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 182 countries on work & labour, never a place within the region.
Venezuela and the countries it borders
Standing among all 182; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Employment-to-Population RatioEmployed share of the population aged 15+ (%) | Labour Income ShareLabour income share of GDP (%) | Unemployment RateUnemployment (% of labour force) | Vulnerable EmploymentVulnerable employment (% of total employment) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Brazil | =56th | 59.37 | 59.5 | 5.97 | 26.08 |
 Colombiacompare | 121st | 58.14 | 50.54 | 8.29 | 42.96 |
 Guyana | =125th | 48.41 | 56.11 | 11.96 | 25.34 |
| Venezuela | 164th | 49.17 | 9.691 | 5.307 | 37.3 |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across South America
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 182.
Placed either side on work & labour
The countries immediately above and below Venezuela in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Venezuela is ahead of the world, and behind
20 more statistics filed under work & labour, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median7
Statistics on which Venezuela does better than the middle country measured.
Length of Paid Maternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 9818298No real change since 2015
Venezuela: 182 · world median 98 · Paid maternity leave set in law (calendar days). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 410; higher is better.
Firms with a Female Top ManagerWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 19.1631.1219.16No earlier reading
Venezuela: 31.12 · world median 19.16 · Firms with a female top manager (%). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1.429 to 62.9; higher is better.
Position 22nd of 179 · derived.
Firms Offering Formal TrainingWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 32.0755.9532.07No earlier reading
Venezuela: 55.95 · world median 32.07 · Firms offering formal training to permanent full-time workers (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 1.42 to 79.12; higher is better.
Length of Paid Paternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 3143▼ Worsened since 2015
Venezuela: 14 · world median 3 · Paid paternity leave set in law (calendar days). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 196; higher is better.
Firms Competing Against Informal FirmsWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 41.8129.7641.81No earlier reading
Venezuela: 29.76 · world median 41.81 · Firms competing against unregistered or informal firms (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 1.926 to 90.5; lower is better.
Position 125th of 181 · derived, 1st = worst.
Unemployment Benefit CoverageILO · 2024 · world median 05.10No earlier reading
Venezuela: 5.1 · world median 0 · Unemployed people receiving unemployment benefits (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 100; higher is better.
Youth Unemployment RateILO · 2025 · world median 12.8310.4412.83▲ Improved since 2015
Venezuela: 10.44 · world median 12.83 · Unemployment, ages 15-24 (% of youth labour force). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.457 to 76.77; lower is better.
Position 107th of 182 · derived, 1st = worst.
Behind the world median7
Statistics on which Venezuela does worse than the middle country measured.
Labour Productivity per Hour WorkedILO · 2025 · world median 22.1615.7622.16▼ Worsened since 2015
Venezuela: 15.76 · world median 22.16 · Output per hour worked (constant 2021 international $ at PPP). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.92 to 164.65; higher is better.
Position 109th of 182 · derived.
Working Poverty RateILO · 2025 · world median 4.88529.54.885▼ Worsened since 2015
Venezuela: 29.5 · world median 4.885 · Employed people living in extreme poverty (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.007 to 86.02; lower is better.
Labour Force Participation RateILO · 2025 · world median 61.6651.9361.66▼ Worsened since 2015
Venezuela: 51.93 · world median 61.66 · Population aged 15+ in the labour force (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 23.34 to 87.01; higher is better.
Position 154th of 182 · derived.
Female Labour Force Participation RateILO · 2025 · world median 53.3637.153.36▼ Worsened since 2015
Venezuela: 37.1 · world median 53.36 · Women aged 15+ in the labour force (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 4.663 to 82.91; higher is better.
Position 158th of 182 · derived.
Labour Inspectors per 10,000 Employed PersonsILO · 2024 · world median 0.5750.140.575No earlier reading
Venezuela: 0.14 · world median 0.575 · Labour inspectors per 10,000 employed persons. International Labour Organization (ILO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.07 to 3.89; higher is better.
Compliance with Labour RightsILO · 2024 · world median 1.618.911.61No real change since 2015
Venezuela: 8.91 · world median 1.61 · Compliance with freedom of association and collective bargaining rights (0 = best, 10 = worst). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 10; lower is better.
Trade Union DensityILO · 2020 · world median 16.680.216.68No earlier reading
Venezuela: 0.2 · world median 16.68 · Employees who are trade union members (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2020 edition, data for 2020.
Published values in that edition run from 0.2 to 91.42; higher is better.
Position 139th of 139 · derived.
No better end6
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Employment in ServicesILO · 2025 · world median 59.5174.3759.51No real change since 2015
Venezuela: 74.37 · world median 59.51 · Employment in services (% of total employment). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 11.56 to 92.17.
Position 39th of 182 · derived, counted from the highest value.
Self-Employment RateILO · 2025 · world median 31.8440.4231.84Moved since 2015
Venezuela: 40.42 · world median 31.84 · Self-employed (% of total employment). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.832 to 91.56.
Position 77th of 182 · derived, counted from the highest value.
Public Sector EmploymentWorld Bank Group · 2022 · world median 15.0116.7715.01No earlier reading
Venezuela: 16.77 · world median 15.01 · Public sector employment (% of total employment). World Bank Group, 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 1.672 to 47.1.
Position 63rd of 135 · derived, counted from the highest value.
Average Weekly Hours WorkedILO · 2025 · world median 38.8938.2338.89Moved since 2015
Venezuela: 38.23 · world median 38.89 · Average weekly hours actually worked per employed person. International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 23.64 to 54.7.
Position 99th of 182 · derived, counted from the highest value.
Employment in AgricultureILO · 2025 · world median 14.388.87514.38Moved since 2015
Venezuela: 8.875 · world median 14.38 · Employment in agriculture (% of total employment). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.095 to 85.34.
Position 112th of 182 · derived, counted from the highest value.
Employment in IndustryILO · 2025 · world median 18.8816.7518.88Moved since 2015
Venezuela: 16.75 · world median 18.88 · Employment in industry (% of total employment). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 3.103 to 39.44.
Position 120th of 182 · derived, counted from the highest value.
No current reading for Venezuela
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Value Added per Worker, Average Monthly Earnings of Employees, Composite Rate of Labour Underutilisation (LU4), Employment Injury Protection Coverage, Fatal Occupational Injuries, Female Share of Senior and Middle Management, GDP per Person Employed, Gini Index of Monthly Earnings (last 2017), Human Capital Wealth per Capita, Informal Employment Rate, Low Pay Rate (last 2017), Share of Temporary Employees, Statutory Minimum Wage and Youth Not in Education, Employment or Training (last 2020). Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Work & Labour among Venezuela’s 15 topics
Work & Labour is Venezuela’s 13th best-placed topic of 15. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Energyjoint 8th of 1652/3 keys
- Gender & Equality68th of 1833/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge89th of 1983/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation108th of 1762/4 keys
- Food & Agriculture114th of 1843/4 keys
- Digital & Technology126th of 1983/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing135th of 2002/4 keys
- Mobility & Trade124th of 1773/4 keys
- Development & Human Capitaljoint 140th of 1963/3 keys
- Environment & Sustainabilityjoint 133rd of 1864/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience140th of 1934/4 keys
- Peace & Security159th of 1774/4 keys
- Work & Labour164th of 1824/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties192nd of 1984/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions194th of 1944/4 keys
No standing on Poverty & Inequality: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on work & labour
The three countries placed highest of 182, and the leaders Venezuela can most readily be measured against.
1
IcelandNorthern Europe
1st of 182 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Hansueli Krapf · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
JapanEastern Asia
2nd of 182 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: JurriaanH · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
3
South KoreaEastern Asia
3rd of 182 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Unknown author · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Americas
United States14th4/4 keysHighest in South America
Bolivia=29th4/4 keysThis page
Venezuela164th4/4 keys
Positions out of 182 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Analysis
Charts and analysis about Venezuela and work & labour
On work & labour
Countries in Asia with the highest average salaries 2024
Thirteen Asian countries by gross average monthly wage, each carrying its WORLD rank rather than an Asian one — so the numbers skip, from 11th place to 45th.
On work & labour
Countries With The Highest Average Salaries in 2024
The ten highest-paying countries of 2024, their bars coloured by continent, and six more added for comparison — from Australia in 13th place to India in 85th.
On work & labour
Countries With The Lowest Average Salaries in 2024
The bottom ten of 196 countries, and six more added for comparison. Niger, Madagascar and Liberia are all published at US$47 a month and still carry three different ranks.
08Questions
Venezuela on work & labour: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Venezuela rank on work & labour?
Venezuela is placed 164th of 182 countries on Work & Labour in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics (Employment-to-Population Ratio, Labour Income Share, Unemployment Rate and Vulnerable Employment). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Employment-to-Population Ratio figure for Venezuela?
49.17 in 2025 (employed share of the population aged 15+ (%)), according to International Labour Organization (ILO). The world median in the same edition was 57.72.
What is the latest Labour Income Share figure for Venezuela?
9.691 in 2025 (labour income share of GDP (%)), according to International Labour Organization (ILO). The world median in the same edition was 46.23.
How does Venezuela compare with Brazil on work & labour?
Brazil is placed joint 56th of 182, and Venezuela 164th. Employment-to-Population Ratio: Brazil 59.37, Venezuela 49.17; Labour Income Share: Brazil 59.5, Venezuela 9.691; Unemployment Rate: Brazil 5.97, Venezuela 5.307; Vulnerable Employment: Brazil 26.08, Venezuela 37.3.
How have Venezuela’s work & labour figures changed?
Employment-to-Population Ratio fell from 55.06 in 2000 to 49.17 in 2025; Labour Income Share fell from 38.98 in 2004 to 9.691 in 2025; Unemployment Rate fell from 13.99 in 2000 to 5.307 in 2025; Vulnerable Employment rose from 35.67 in 2000 to 37.3 in 2025.
Which work & labour statistics are missing for Venezuela?
No current reading is published for Venezuela on Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Value Added per Worker, Average Monthly Earnings of Employees, Composite Rate of Labour Underutilisation (LU4), Employment Injury Protection Coverage, Fatal Occupational Injuries, Female Share of Senior and Middle Management, GDP per Person Employed, Gini Index of Monthly Earnings, Human Capital Wealth per Capita, Informal Employment Rate, Low Pay Rate, Share of Temporary Employees, Statutory Minimum Wage and Youth Not in Education, Employment or Training. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
09Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
Wages in money terms are not a key here, because pay figures are hard to compare fairly across countries with very different prices. Labour productivity, working hours, youth unemployment and the balance between farming, industry and services are published on this page as context. The size and growth of the wider economy belong to Economy & Innovation.
How the Work & Labour standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The work & labour method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Employment-to-Population Ratio — International Labour Organization (ILO), CC BY 4.0
- Labour Income Share — International Labour Organization (ILO), CC BY 4.0
- Unemployment Rate — International Labour Organization (ILO), CC BY 4.0
- Vulnerable Employment — International Labour Organization (ILO), CC BY 4.0
The other 20 statistics on this page come from 2 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Venezuela’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Venezuela (banner) — Samuel Bristow, CC0
- Iceland — Hansueli Krapf, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Japan — JurriaanH, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South Korea — Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Venezuela: Work & Labour — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/venezuela/work