Bangladeshi nationals continue to dominate Fiji’s foreign workforce, according to findings from the 2026 National Skills Gap Assessment Survey released yesterday.
The survey shows that Bangladeshi workers accounted for the largest share of foreign labour across all three reference years — 22.1 per cent in 2022, rising to 27.7 per cent in 2024, and slightly easing to 26.2 per cent in 2025.
Indian nationals consistently ranked second, contributing between 11.6 per cent and 14.1 per cent, while other key contributors included Indonesians, Chinese, Filipinos and Sri Lankans.
The report highlighted a diverse mix of nationalities within Fiji’s foreign workforce, reflecting both regional and global labour mobility trends.
“Business organisations reported a diverse range of national identities represented within their workforce,” the report noted, pointing to growing reliance on overseas labour.
A notable shift occurred in 2024 when Chinese workers moved into third position, overtaking Indonesians, signalling changing recruitment patterns and emerging sector demands.
By 2025, the rankings adjusted again, with Indonesians returning to third place, followed closely by Chinese and Filipino workers, indicating a more competitive and fluid labour market.
Despite these movements, the report emphasised that the overall structure remains stable, with the same nationalities consistently appearing among the top contributors.
“This consistency suggests that recruitment channels and employer preferences are relatively stable over time,” the report stated.
The findings underline Fiji’s increasing dependence on foreign labour to meet workforce demands, while also highlighting the importance of monitoring migration flows, skills transfer and employment conditions.
