List of countries by informal employment rate

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The following article lists countries by the share of informal employment in total employment. Informal employment, as defined by the International Labour Organization (ILO), refers to work arrangements that lack legal protection, social security benefits, and employment rights. It typically occurs in the unregulated or unprotected sector of the economy, where workers often lack formal contracts, job stability, and access to benefits such as paid leave, healthcare, and retirement plans. Informal employment is characterized by its casual nature, low wages, limited job security, and often involves self-employment or work in small, unregistered businesses. Worldwide, over 60% of workers are in informal employment. Informal employment differs significantly in different world regions. In Africa, 85.8% of employment falls under the informal sector, while in Asia and the Pacific, it accounts for 68.2%. The Arab States follows closely with 68.6%, while in the Americas, the proportion is 40.0%. Europe and Central Asia demonstrate the lowest prevalence of informal employment at 25.1%. [1]

Ranking

Countries by share of the labour force in informal employment. [2] [3]

CountryShare of informal employment (%)Year
TotalMaleFemale
Flag of Niger.svg Niger 98.4997.9599.012022
Flag of Burundi.svg Burundi 98.3197.3999.052014
Flag of Chad.svg Chad 96.9295.2398.992018
Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg DR Congo 96.7695.7497.822020
Flag of Benin.svg Benin 96.3594.3898.162022
Flag of Madagascar.svg Madagascar 96.0895.6796.552022
Flag of Mozambique.svg Mozambique 95.6792.6698.392015
Flag of Mali.svg Mali 95.4294.2497.422022
Flag of Uganda.svg Uganda 95.1593.0897.352021
Flag of Guinea-Bissau.svg Guinea-Bissau 94.7792.1997.392022
Flag of Sudan.svg Sudan 94.4194.8792.262022
Flag of Burkina Faso.svg Burkina Faso 93.7691.5696.012024
Flag of Tanzania.svg Tanzania 93.5891.1196.082020
Flag of Nigeria.svg Nigeria 93.1889.9296.392024
Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Sierra Leone 93.1189.2896.632018
Flag of Togo (3-2).svg Togo 92.3490.6493.872022
Flag of Angola.svg Angola 92.2188.8495.442022
Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg Côte d'Ivoire 92.1389.2495.452022
Flag of Haiti.svg Haiti 91.6189.2594.712012
Flag of Laos.svg Laos 90.4989.4791.602022
Flag of Liberia.svg Liberia 89.6685.7193.692017
Flag of Cambodia.svg Cambodia 89.4189.8188.982019
Flag of Mauritania.svg Mauritania 89.3688.1691.702019
Flag of Senegal.svg Senegal 89.2487.5892.362024
Flag of Lesotho.svg Lesotho 89.1488.5589.902024
Flag of the Comoros.svg Comoros 88.8186.6691.602021
Flag of India.svg India 88.3686.7691.932024
Flag of Zimbabwe.svg Zimbabwe 88.0785.3390.932023
Flag of Cameroon.svg Cameroon 87.1082.7891.672014
Flag of Malawi.svg Malawi 87.0883.2090.932013
Flag of Kenya.svg Kenya 86.4983.1390.192019
Flag of the Taliban.svg Afghanistan 86.1382.6397.302021
Flag of the Republic of the Congo.svg Congo 85.2888.3582.872009
Flag of Ethiopia.svg Ethiopia 85.2183.5887.452021
Flag of Pakistan.svg Pakistan 84.3482.2191.722021
Flag of Rwanda.svg Rwanda 84.2782.1786.672024
Flag of Bangladesh.svg Bangladesh 84.1978.0895.772023
Flag of The Gambia.svg Gambia 84.1378.4589.452023
Flag of Bolivia.svg Bolivia 83.8881.8986.052024
Flag of Zambia.svg Zambia 83.8380.1588.112023
Flag of Guatemala.svg Guatemala 83.1981.2285.972023
Flag of Honduras (2022-).svg Honduras 82.6183.6180.992017
Flag of Somalia.svg Somalia 82.4981.1285.532019
Flag of Nicaragua.svg Nicaragua 81.7981.3182.382012
Flag of Nepal.svg   Nepal 81.5677.9787.342017
Flag of Indonesia.svg Indonesia 81.1980.1282.842023
Flag of Myanmar.svg Myanmar 80.9678.5984.372020
Flag of East Timor.svg Timor-Leste 80.5978.5983.562021
Flag of Ghana.svg Ghana 78.0577.2178.792015
Flag of Yemen.svg Yemen 77.4177.0582.172014
Flag of Botswana.svg Botswana 75.5878.4472.552024
Flag of Vanuatu.svg Vanuatu 72.4071.2273.842019
Flag of Peru.svg Peru 72.0770.2474.312024
Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt 71.3373.2962.482023
Flag of Ecuador.svg Ecuador 68.6467.0870.882024
Flag of Vietnam.svg Vietnam 67.6670.1964.922023
Flag of Iraq.svg Iraq 67.6470.5445.432021
Flag of Paraguay.svg Paraguay 67.3166.4868.432024
Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Sri Lanka 67.0471.2158.962022
Flag of El Salvador.svg El Salvador 66.5064.2569.452023
Flag of Tajikistan.svg Tajikistan 64.5868.7253.842016
Flag of Cape Verde.svg Cape Verde 63.8263.7463.902015
Flag of Thailand.svg Thailand 63.3364.1762.362024
Flag of Barbados.svg Barbados 61.9763.4060.562016
Flag of Kiribati.svg Kiribati 61.6164.0658.512023
Flag of Tonga.svg Tonga 58.8660.5356.802023
Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg Kyrgyzstan 58.7661.9453.802023
Flag of Panama.svg Panama 58.6960.6755.902024
Flag of Venezuela.svg Venezuela 58.3461.1954.122017
Flag of Colombia.svg Colombia 56.1457.9153.652024
Flag of Namibia.svg Namibia 55.7653.1858.322018
Flag of Georgia.svg Georgia 55.6356.9554.152020
Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico 55.5355.6655.342025
Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon 55.4555.3955.592019
Flag of Jordan.svg Jordan 55.1257.7042.662023
Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg Dominican Republic 54.7058.6149.242024
Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica 54.6463.5144.242023
Flag of Eswatini.svg Eswatini 53.3050.3156.362023
Flag of Moldova.svg Moldova 52.2252.1152.322024
Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname 52.1156.3645.682016
Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina 51.5851.2951.932024
Flag of Samoa.svg Samoa 51.5857.2241.262022
Flag of Guyana.svg Guyana 51.1756.4243.452019
Flag of Djibouti.svg Djibouti 50.5245.7264.882017
Flag of Palestine.svg Palestine 48.4850.6139.592024
Flag of Maldives.svg Maldives 48.1545.2352.042019
Flag of Grenada.svg Grenada 48.0557.1636.502023
Flag of Nauru.svg Nauru 47.9749.8445.542021
Flag of Armenia.svg Armenia 47.8848.4147.302017
Flag of Fiji.svg Fiji 45.7049.8837.342024
Flag of Mongolia.svg Mongolia 41.9445.9737.202023
Flag of the Cook Islands.svg Cook Islands 40.3442.4138.232023
Flag of Costa Rica.svg Costa Rica 37.3836.8738.172024
Flag of Tunisia.svg Tunisia 36.9139.3030.322019
Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil 36.5037.9534.592024
Flag of France.svg Wallis and Futuna 35.9945.1123.252019
Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa 34.9035.1134.652024
Flag of Mauritius.svg Mauritius 33.9137.9828.012023
Flag of the Marshall Islands.svg Marshall Islands 33.0829.3039.712021
Flag of Uruguay.svg Uruguay 28.5529.5527.322024
Flag of Brunei.svg Brunei 28.4829.2327.342023
Flag of Saint Lucia.svg Saint Lucia 28.1235.6219.242024
Flag of Turkey.svg Türkiye 27.7124.1534.892024
Flag of Chile.svg Chile 27.4626.0929.282024
Flag of South Korea.svg South Korea 26.6223.5831.032019
Flag of Tuvalu.svg Tuvalu 20.2320.8619.252022
Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg Bosnia and Herzegovina 19.6716.2924.582023
Flag of Russia.svg Russia 19.3319.8218.822024
Flag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg Antigua and Barbuda 19.2623.6214.852023
Flag of the Bahamas.svg Bahamas 18.3620.5416.012019
Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia 17.8116.4019.462024
Flag of Seychelles.svg Seychelles 14.2223.025.842024
Flag of North Macedonia.svg North Macedonia 11.0913.308.112024
Flag of Poland.svg Poland 8.627.809.542024
Flag of Palau.svg Palau 7.277.147.452023
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 6.515.237.922018
Flag of Portugal (official).svg Portugal 4.734.275.202024
Flag of Slovakia.svg Slovakia 4.375.552.982024
Flag of Greece.svg Greece 3.582.584.902024
Flag of Italy.svg Italy 3.423.083.892024
Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania 3.203.253.152024
Flag of France.svg France 3.153.003.312024
Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden 2.832.952.692024
Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark 2.822.752.892019
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands 2.631.993.332024
Flag of Germany.svg Germany 2.492.302.712022
Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia 2.402.482.332024
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic 2.261.103.662024
Flag of Romania.svg Romania 2.211.892.632024
Flag of Spain.svg Spain 2.201.493.022024
Flag of Finland.svg Finland 2.192.062.312024
Flag of Latvia.svg Latvia 2.171.632.662024
Flag of Iceland.svg Iceland 1.971.522.482020
Flag of Luxembourg.svg Luxembourg 1.932.121.712024
Flag of Ireland.svg Ireland 1.901.692.142024
Flag of Cyprus.svg Cyprus 1.681.042.392024
Flag of Norway.svg Norway 1.431.671.142024
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium 1.370.831.952024
Flag of Austria.svg Austria 1.331.411.232024
Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary 1.310.941.742020
Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria 1.200.861.582024
Flag of Croatia.svg Croatia 1.170.621.792024
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland 1.140.521.832023
Flag of Slovenia.svg Slovenia 0.700.670.722024
Flag of Malta.svg Malta 0.630.580.702020

References

  1. ↑ "More than 60 per cent of the world's employed population are in the informal economy". International Labour Organization. 2018-04-30. Archived from the original on 2024-09-15.
  2. ↑ "Statistics on the informal economy". ILOSTAT. International Labour Organization. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  3. ↑ "Informal employment rate". ILOSTAT. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
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