Brazil vs South Africa: Share of workers in informal employment
Brazil
35.6%
in 2025
South Africa
34.8%
in 2024
Brazil rank
41st
South Africa rank
42nd
Share of workers in informal employment over time
- Brazil
- South Africa
How they compare
Brazil currently reports 35.6% against 34.8% in South Africa, a difference of 0.8%.
Across all 15 years both countries report, Brazil has been ahead every year.
Brazil ranks 41st and South Africa ranks 42nd of 82 countries.
Brazil has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Brazil | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 46.8% | 33.7% | 13.1% | Brazil |
| 2010s | 39.8% | 33.4% | 6.4% | Brazil |
| 2020s | 37.2% | 33.4% | 3.8% | Brazil |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of workers in informal employment, Brazil or South Africa?
- Brazil, at 35.6% against 34.8% in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in share of workers in informal employment between Brazil and South Africa?
- 0.8%, with Brazil ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Brazil and South Africa?
- 15 years are reported by both, from 2009 to 2024.
- How do Brazil and South Africa rank globally for share of workers in informal employment?
- Brazil ranks 41st and South Africa ranks 42nd 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.