93% of African domestic workers lack labour protection, ILO warns

More than 93 per cent of domestic workers in Africa remain in informal employment, leaving millions without effective labour rights, social security and adequate workplace protection, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has warned.

The warning comes as new ILO estimates showed that 83.1 per cent of domestic workers worldwide, representing 66.5 million people, remained in informal employment, 15 years after the adoption of the Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189).

The findings, contained in a new statistical brief, ‘The State of Domestic Work in 2025: 15 Years After Convention No. 189’, highlighted persistent gaps in the protection and remuneration of workers providing essential household and care services.

According to the report, an estimated 80 million people aged 15 and above are employed as domestic workers globally, compared with 75.6 million in 2019.

Despite some progress in reducing informality, the organisation said domestic workers continued to face poor working conditions, low wages, excessive working hours and limited access to social protection.

The report showed that informality declined or remained stable in 91 of the 140 countries with comparable data between 2019 and 2025. However, the remaining 49 countries, representing about 30 per cent of domestic workers worldwide, recorded an increase in informal employment.

Africa recorded the largest growth in domestic employment during the period, adding 4.2 million workers, while 93.3 per cent of domestic workers across the continent remained in informal employment.

The Asia-Pacific region accounted for 40.2 million domestic workers, representing about half of the global workforce, while informality remains nearly universal in the Arab States.

Beyond the absence of formal employment arrangements, the ILO identified poor remuneration as another major challenge confronting the sector.

It said domestic workers earn an average of 53.3 per cent of the monthly wages received by other employees, with informal domestic workers earning even less, at 48.7 per cent.

The wage disparity has widened from 2019, when domestic workers earned 56.4 per cent of the average monthly wages of other employees.

Women bear a disproportionate share of the disadvantage, accounting for 77.2 per cent of the global domestic workforce.

The report said female domestic workers earned an average of 48 per cent of other employees’ monthly wages, compared with 65.8 per cent for their male counterparts.

It also highlighted widespread excessive working hours, noting that 35.2 per cent of domestic workers put in at least 49 hours weekly, while 14.6 per cent work 60 hours or more.

At the same time, some domestic workers experience very short working hours, reflecting underemployment or fragmented employment across multiple households.

In response, the Chief of the ILO’s Informal Work Branch, Patrick Belser, said the continued exclusion of domestic workers from formal employment and adequate remuneration undermines efforts to guarantee decent work.

Belser said governments must translate the rights guaranteed under Convention No. 189 into practical protection, including fair wages, social security, decent working conditions and effective labour safeguards.

The ILO called for stronger implementation of Convention No. 189 and Recommendation No. 201 through targeted formalisation strategies, accessible worker registration systems and expanded social protection.