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India Labour Observatory

India Labour ObservatoryData & Methods PLFS 2025Social group and religion

Social group and religion

The three rates, and the kind of work people do, by social group and by religion.

9 tables, from the records of the Periodic Labour Force Survey, January to December 2025, each cell with its standard error.

Table 4.1Labour force participation rate by social group, persons aged 15+, usual status

Persons aged 15+. per cent.

MenWomenEveryone All India. PLFS 2025, computed by the observatory from MoSPI's unit-level records.

every table, unrounded

	All India			Rural			Urban
	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone
ST	83.80.4	62.60.6	73.10.4	84.90.4	65.70.6	75.20.4	76.61.0	40.31.1	58.70.8
SC	80.50.3	42.80.4	61.30.3	81.00.3	45.90.5	63.10.3	79.20.4	33.00.5	56.10.4
OBC	78.70.2	39.30.2	58.60.2	79.80.2	44.90.3	61.80.2	76.50.3	27.50.3	52.20.2
Others	76.90.2	31.00.3	53.90.2	79.10.3	36.60.5	57.50.3	74.50.3	24.40.3	49.90.2

Table 4.4Labour force participation rate by religion, persons aged 15+, usual status

Persons aged 15+. per cent.

MenWomenEveryone All India. PLFS 2025, computed by the observatory from MoSPI's unit-level records.

every table, unrounded

	All India			Rural			Urban
	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone
Hinduism	79.00.1	41.70.2	60.20.1	80.50.2	47.40.3	63.60.2	75.90.2	28.90.2	52.70.2
Islam	80.00.3	27.80.5	53.20.3	80.70.4	33.40.7	55.90.5	79.10.4	19.20.5	49.20.4
Christianity	76.70.7	49.51.0	62.70.6	79.40.9	55.01.4	66.90.9	71.80.9	39.91.0	55.10.7
Sikhism	77.30.7	33.71.0	55.90.7	80.10.8	37.51.3	59.20.8	70.01.3	24.11.3	47.41.0
Other religions	76.81.0	41.81.3	59.40.8	78.81.4	52.71.7	65.91.1	74.51.3	29.61.7	52.11.1

Table 4.2Worker population ratio by social group, persons aged 15+, usual status

Persons aged 15+. per cent.

MenWomenEveryone All India. PLFS 2025, computed by the observatory from MoSPI's unit-level records.

every table, unrounded

	All India			Rural			Urban
	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone
ST	81.80.4	61.50.6	71.60.4	83.30.4	64.80.6	73.90.4	71.41.1	37.71.1	54.80.8
SC	77.70.3	41.50.4	59.30.3	78.50.3	45.00.5	61.40.3	75.10.4	30.80.5	53.00.4
OBC	76.30.2	38.20.2	56.90.2	77.80.2	44.00.3	60.40.2	73.40.3	25.90.3	49.80.2
Others	74.40.2	29.60.3	51.90.2	76.80.3	35.30.5	55.70.3	71.70.3	22.70.3	47.60.2

Table 4.5Worker population ratio by religion, persons aged 15+, usual status

Persons aged 15+. per cent.

MenWomenEveryone All India. PLFS 2025, computed by the observatory from MoSPI's unit-level records.

every table, unrounded

	All India			Rural			Urban
	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone
Hinduism	76.60.1	40.50.2	58.30.1	78.50.2	46.40.3	62.10.2	72.60.2	27.10.2	50.20.2
Islam	77.50.3	26.80.5	51.40.3	78.60.5	32.50.7	54.40.5	76.20.4	18.10.5	47.20.4
Christianity	74.20.7	47.51.0	60.40.7	77.21.0	53.31.3	64.90.9	69.00.9	37.41.0	52.50.7
Sikhism	73.60.7	31.61.0	53.00.7	76.70.8	35.51.3	56.50.8	66.01.3	21.81.2	44.21.0
Other religions	74.31.0	40.41.3	57.50.9	76.61.6	51.81.7	64.41.2	71.61.3	27.51.6	49.61.1

Table 4.3Unemployment rate by social group, persons aged 15+, usual status

Persons aged 15+. per cent.

MenWomenEveryone All India. PLFS 2025, computed by the observatory from MoSPI's unit-level records.

every table, unrounded

	All India			Rural			Urban
	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone
ST	2.50.2	1.70.1	2.10.1	1.90.2	1.30.1	1.60.1	6.80.8	6.30.6	6.60.6
SC	3.50.1	2.80.2	3.30.1	3.00.2	2.00.1	2.60.1	5.20.2	6.70.6	5.60.3
OBC	3.00.1	2.90.1	3.00.1	2.50.1	2.10.1	2.30.1	4.00.1	5.90.2	4.50.1
Others	3.30.1	4.70.2	3.70.1	2.90.1	3.40.2	3.10.1	3.80.2	7.00.3	4.60.2

Table 4.6Unemployment rate by religion, persons aged 15+, usual status

Persons aged 15+. per cent.

MenWomenEveryone All India. PLFS 2025, computed by the observatory from MoSPI's unit-level records.

every table, unrounded

	All India			Rural			Urban
	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone
Hinduism	3.10.1	3.00.1	3.00.0	2.60.1	2.00.1	2.30.1	4.30.1	6.40.2	4.90.1
Islam	3.10.1	3.60.2	3.20.1	2.70.2	2.60.3	2.70.2	3.70.2	6.00.4	4.10.2
Christianity	3.20.3	4.10.3	3.60.2	2.80.4	3.30.4	3.00.3	3.90.4	6.20.6	4.70.3
Sikhism	4.70.4	6.10.6	5.10.4	4.40.5	5.20.7	4.60.4	5.80.6	9.61.5	6.80.6
Other religions	3.30.6	3.40.8	3.30.5	2.80.9	1.60.4	2.30.5	3.90.6	6.92.2	4.70.8

Table 4.7Self-employed workers as a share of all workers, by social group and religion

Workers of all ages, usual status (ps+ss). per cent.

MenWomenEveryone All India. PLFS 2025, computed by the observatory from MoSPI's unit-level records.

every table, unrounded

	All India			Rural			Urban
	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone
ST	53.40.8	67.90.9	59.70.8	56.80.9	70.61.0	62.90.8	26.51.3	34.41.8	29.21.2
SC	38.80.5	52.00.7	43.50.5	41.70.6	56.80.8	47.30.6	29.80.6	30.51.0	30.00.6
OBC	56.30.3	68.00.4	60.30.3	62.70.4	74.50.4	67.10.3	43.10.4	44.80.7	43.50.4
Others	54.10.4	65.90.6	57.50.4	63.60.6	79.70.7	68.80.5	42.80.5	40.40.8	42.20.5
Hinduism	52.30.2	63.70.3	56.30.2	58.30.3	70.40.4	62.90.3	38.80.3	38.00.5	38.60.3
Islam	51.80.6	76.60.8	58.40.5	53.90.9	81.90.9	62.70.7	48.70.8	62.21.5	51.30.7
Christianity	45.01.4	51.11.9	47.51.3	51.51.9	59.02.4	54.61.8	32.01.3	31.61.7	31.91.1
Sikhism	50.01.4	56.71.9	51.91.3	49.61.7	59.92.2	52.81.6	51.12.0	43.83.3	49.31.8
Other religions	45.71.9	45.52.4	45.61.8	48.92.7	51.32.9	49.82.4	41.72.5	33.43.6	39.42.3

Table 4.8Regular wage or salaried workers as a share of all workers, by social group and religion

Workers of all ages, usual status (ps+ss). per cent.

MenWomenEveryone All India. PLFS 2025, computed by the observatory from MoSPI's unit-level records.

every table, unrounded

	All India			Rural			Urban
	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone
ST	16.30.5	9.60.5	13.40.4	12.40.5	6.80.5	9.90.4	47.31.6	44.62.1	46.41.5
SC	23.80.4	18.70.4	22.00.3	16.00.4	10.80.4	14.00.3	48.20.7	54.21.1	49.90.7
OBC	25.50.2	17.00.3	22.60.2	16.90.3	8.80.2	13.80.2	43.30.4	46.60.7	44.20.4
Others	34.20.4	27.00.5	32.20.4	21.10.5	11.10.5	17.90.4	49.80.5	56.30.8	51.40.5
Hinduism	26.70.2	18.00.2	23.70.2	16.80.2	9.00.2	13.80.2	49.10.3	52.80.5	50.10.3
Islam	23.50.5	13.30.6	20.80.4	16.40.5	6.40.5	13.30.4	33.50.8	32.21.4	33.30.7
Christianity	30.21.1	30.71.4	30.41.0	20.61.3	19.61.6	20.11.2	49.61.6	58.41.9	52.81.4
Sikhism	26.51.0	25.51.5	26.20.9	22.21.1	19.61.6	21.41.1	39.21.8	49.53.2	41.71.6
Other religions	32.61.8	30.02.1	31.71.6	20.62.4	14.51.5	18.21.7	47.42.4	62.63.6	51.62.2

Table 4.9Casual labour workers as a share of all workers, by social group and religion

Workers of all ages, usual status (ps+ss). per cent.

MenWomenEveryone All India. PLFS 2025, computed by the observatory from MoSPI's unit-level records.

every table, unrounded

	All India			Rural			Urban
	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone
ST	30.30.7	22.50.8	26.90.7	30.80.8	22.60.9	27.20.7	26.11.6	21.02.2	24.41.6
SC	37.40.5	29.30.6	34.50.4	42.40.6	32.40.7	38.60.5	22.10.6	15.30.8	20.10.6
OBC	18.20.2	15.00.3	17.10.2	20.40.3	16.80.4	19.00.3	13.60.3	8.60.4	12.30.3
Others	11.70.3	7.10.3	10.40.2	15.30.4	9.20.5	13.30.4	7.40.3	3.20.3	6.40.2
Hinduism	21.00.2	18.20.3	20.00.2	24.90.3	20.60.3	23.30.3	12.10.2	9.20.3	11.30.2
Islam	24.70.5	10.10.6	20.80.5	29.60.8	11.70.8	24.00.6	17.80.6	5.60.6	15.50.5
Christianity	24.81.3	18.21.4	22.11.1	28.01.8	21.41.9	25.21.5	18.41.2	10.01.4	15.31.1
Sikhism	23.51.3	17.81.3	21.81.2	28.21.6	20.51.6	25.81.4	9.71.1	6.81.8	9.01.0
Other religions	21.81.6	24.51.9	22.71.5	30.52.4	34.22.7	32.02.3	11.02.1	4.01.1	9.01.6

Computed by the India Labour Observatory from MoSPI's unit-level records of the Periodic Labour Force Survey, January to December 2025; Release 2026.10.