Global Domestic Workers Remain Largely Unprotected, ILO Warns
A new ILO report marking the 15th anniversary of the adoption of its Domestic Workers Convention estimated that 66.5 million domestic workers, representing 83.1% of the global workforce in the sector, were informally employed in 2025. This marked an increase of 5.1 million workers compared with 2019.
The worldwide domestic workforce expanded to 80 million people, up from 75.6 million in 2019. Women accounted for 77.2% of those employed in the sector.
Despite the workforce's growth, domestic workers continued to earn substantially less than other employees. Their average monthly wages amounted to just 53.3% of the earnings received by other workers, down from 56.4% in 2019. The situation was even more difficult for those employed informally, whose average wages stood at 48.7% of those earned by other employees.
Working hours were another concern highlighted in the report. Approximately 35.2% of domestic workers worked at least 49 hours per week, while 14.6% worked 60 hours or more.
Informal employment remained particularly prevalent in Africa, where it affected 93.3% of domestic workers. The practice was described as "nearly universal" across Arab states. Europe and Central Asia recorded the lowest regional rate, yet more than one-third of domestic workers in those regions were still employed informally.
Patrick Belser, chief of the ILO's informal work branch, emphasized that further action was needed to improve conditions across the sector.
"Progress in many countries shows that change is possible. But with more than 66 million domestic workers still in informal employment and their wages falling further behind those of other employees, much more needs to be done," he said.
The ILO called on governments to strengthen minimum wage policies, expand social security coverage, improve protections governing working hours and ensure more effective enforcement of labor rights under Convention No. 189.
The report highlights continuing challenges in securing fair pay, adequate protection and formal employment arrangements for millions of people working in households worldwide.
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