Domestic workers earn just 53% of what other employees make globally, down from 56% in 2019, ILO estimates show

Domestic workers worldwide earn just 53.3% of the average monthly wages of other employees, down from 56.4% in 2019, as the wage gap widens and millions continue to work without effective labour and social protection, according to new estimates released by the International Labour Organization (ILO) on October 27.

The ILO's statistical brief, The state of domestic work in 2025: 15 years after Convention No. 189, found that informal domestic workers face an even greater disadvantage, earning just 48.7% of the average monthly wages of other employees.

The findings highlight persistent inequalities in a workforce that provides essential household services, including cleaning, cooking and caring for children, older people and people with disabilities.

The ILO cautioned that the decline in domestic workers' relative wages does not necessarily mean their earnings have fallen in absolute terms. In many countries, their wages increased but at a slower pace than those of other employees. The global figures are also influenced by the growing share of domestic workers in countries with wider wage gaps.

66.5 million domestic workers remain in informal employment

An estimated 80 million people aged 15 and above were employed as domestic workers worldwide in 2025, up from 75.6 million in 2019.

Despite the increase, domestic work continued to account for 2.2% of total employment and 4.4% of employees globally.

Of the 80 million domestic workers, 66.5 million, or 83.1%, remained in informal employment without effective labour and social protection. This was 5.1 million more than in 2019.

The ILO said the increase largely reflected the growing concentration of domestic workers in countries where informality remains persistently high, rather than a widespread deterioration in working conditions across the sector.

Informality among domestic workers declined or remained stable in 91 of the 140 countries with comparable data for 2019 and 2025. These countries accounted for nearly 70% of domestic workers worldwide. The remaining 49 countries, representing around 30% of the workforce, recorded an increase in the proportion of domestic workers in informal employment.

Women account for 77% of domestic workers but face a wider wage gap

Women accounted for 77.2% of domestic workers worldwide and faced particularly pronounced wage disadvantages, the estimates showed.

Women domestic workers earned an average of just 48% of the monthly wages of other employees. For male domestic workers, the comparable figure was 65.8%.

Women were also disproportionately concentrated in cleaning and direct-care occupations, highlighting persistent gender inequalities in domestic work.

The ILO said domestic workers' contributions continued to be undervalued despite the essential services they provide to households.

35% of domestic workers work at least 49 hours a week

Long working hours remain widespread among domestic workers, with 35.2% working at least 49 hours per week. Around 14.6% work 60 hours or more a week.

At the other end of the spectrum, domestic workers are more likely than other employees to work very short hours. This can indicate underemployment or employment spread across several households, according to the ILO.

The figures point to contrasting challenges across the sector, including excessive working hours for some workers and insufficient work for others.

Asia-Pacific accounts for half of global domestic workforce

Asia and the Pacific was home to 40.2 million domestic workers in 2025, accounting for approximately half of the global total.

Africa recorded the largest increase in domestic employment between 2019 and 2025, adding 4.2 million workers. However, 93.3% of domestic workers in the region remained in informal employment.

Informality was nearly universal among domestic workers in the Arab States. Europe and Central Asia recorded the lowest regional informality rate, although more than one in three domestic workers in the region still worked informally.

The Americas remained the most highly feminised broad region in terms of domestic work.

ILO calls for stronger labour protection

Patrick Belser, Chief of the Informal Work Branch at the ILO, said progress in several countries demonstrated that improvements were possible, but much more needed to be done to protect domestic workers.

“We cannot claim to value care while undervaluing the people who provide it,” Belser said, calling for the rights established under the ILO Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189), to be translated into effective protection.

The ILO urged governments to strengthen implementation of Convention No. 189 and Recommendation No. 201 through targeted formalisation strategies, accessible registration systems, social protection, effective minimum wages and safeguards on working hours.

It also called for investment in decent care jobs, recognition of workers' skills, stronger compliance and enforcement, and greater use of social dialogue and collective bargaining.

The organisation said improving working conditions for domestic workers would become increasingly important as demographic changes, migration and digital transformation reshape labour markets and intensify demand for care services. Ensuring decent work in the sector, it added, is essential to advancing gender equality, building sustainable care systems and promoting social justice.