The short version
- AI exposure score: 3/10. Robotics risk 7.5/10; work-from-home potential 1/10. These come from our model-estimated scoring of ISCO-08 group 8, the same score in every country (see methodology).
- Share of jobs varies a lot by country: from 0.3% in Niger to 14.3% in Iran. The typical country sits at 6.3%.
- Worldwide, 7.6% of workers in the 147 ranked countries do this kind of work.
Countries where plant and machine operators are the biggest share of jobs
Share of all employed people, latest year per country (ILO ILOSTAT and national statistics). Only countries and territories that report all nine ISCO-08 major groups and have at least 200,000 workers are ranked.
| Country | Share of jobs | Workers | AI exposure (whole economy) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iran | 14.3% | 3.4M | 3.71 |
| Vietnam | 14.2% | 7.6M | 3.27 |
| Romania | 13.9% | 1.1M | 4.26 |
| Belarus | 13.8% | 662K | 4.40 |
| Tunisia | 13.8% | 749K | 3.61 |
| Qatar | 13.4% | 301K | 4.12 |
| North Macedonia | 13.1% | 92K | 4.48 |
| United States | 13.0% | 18.8M | 5.06 |
| Egypt | 12.6% | 3.8M | 3.87 |
| Czechia | 12.2% | 640K | 4.84 |
| Serbia | 12.2% | 348K | 4.69 |
| Russian Federation | 12.1% | 8.9M | 4.62 |
Countries with the most plant and machine operators in absolute numbers
| Country | Workers | Share of jobs |
|---|---|---|
| India | 28.9M | 6.1% |
| United States | 18.8M | 13.0% |
| Brazil | 9.7M | 9.5% |
| Indonesia | 9.3M | 6.7% |
| Russian Federation | 8.9M | 12.1% |
| Vietnam | 7.6M | 14.2% |
| Pakistan | 6.3M | 8.2% |
| Mexico | 6.2M | 10.5% |
| Bangladesh | 6.0M | 8.7% |
| Thailand | 4.4M | 11.1% |
How the share changes with national income
Grouping countries by the UNDP Human Development Index shows whether this kind of work grows or shrinks as economies develop.
| HDI group | Countries | Median share of jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Very high (0.800+) | 56 | 7.5% |
| High (0.700-0.799) | 30 | 8.6% |
| Medium (0.550-0.699) | 33 | 5.2% |
| Low (below 0.550) | 22 | 3.0% |
The fewest: Niger (0.3%), Mali (0.4%), Chad (0.6%), Burundi (1.0%), Côte d'Ivoire (1.1%).
What this means
A country's AI exposure depends on how many of its workers sit in high-score groups. Plant and machine operators and assemblers score 3/10, so a country with a bigger share of this group pulls its national average down. Compare any country in the explore tool, or check a specific job with the job risk calculator.
Related reading
- AI risk versus robotics risk by country
- All nine occupation groups
- Countries with a similar workforce
- Workers in AI-exposed jobs, by country
Method: scores are model-estimated and describe job groups, not individual jobs. Data year differs by country. See methodology. Page updated 2026-10-28.
Frequently asked questions
Which countries have the most plant and machine operators?
Measured as a share of all jobs, the top three are Iran (14%), Vietnam (14%), Romania (14%). Across the 147 countries ranked here, the typical country has 6.3% of its workers in this group.
How exposed are plant and machine operators to AI?
Plant and machine operators and assemblers score 3/10 for AI exposure in our model-estimated scoring, with 7.5/10 for robotics risk and 1/10 for work-from-home potential. These are estimates, not forecasts.
Does the share of plant and machine operators change with national income?
Yes. Using the UNDP Human Development Index to group countries, the median share is 7.5% in very high HDI countries and 3.0% in low HDI countries.
Where does this data come from?
Employment by occupation comes from ILO ILOSTAT and national statistics offices, using the latest year each country reports. Only the 147 countries and territories with all nine ISCO-08 major groups and at least 200,000 workers are ranked.