Brazil vs Costa Rica: Share of workers in informal employment
Brazil
35.6%
in 2025
Costa Rica
36.1%
in 2025
Brazil rank
41st
Costa Rica rank
40th
Share of workers in informal employment over time
- Brazil
- Costa Rica
How they compare
Costa Rica currently reports 36.1% against 35.6% in Brazil, a difference of 0.5%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 15 shared years of data; in 2011 it was Brazil ahead.
Brazil ranks 41st and Costa Rica ranks 40th of 82 countries.
Costa Rica has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Brazil | Costa Rica | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 39.8% | 40.4% | 0.6% | Costa Rica |
| 2020s | 37.0% | 38.6% | 1.7% | Costa Rica |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of workers in informal employment, Brazil or Costa Rica?
- Costa Rica, at 36.1% against 35.6% in Brazil as of 2025.
- What is the difference in share of workers in informal employment between Brazil and Costa Rica?
- 0.5%, with Costa Rica ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Brazil and Costa Rica?
- 15 years are reported by both, from 2011 to 2025.
- How do Brazil and Costa Rica rank globally for share of workers in informal employment?
- Brazil ranks 41st and Costa Rica ranks 40th of 82 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Labour Organization – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of workers in informal employment. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of employed people working in jobs that lack basic social or legal protection and employment benefits. Does not include illegal and illicit activities. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.