Costa Rica vs South Africa: Share of workers in informal employment
Costa Rica
36.1%
in 2025
South Africa
34.8%
in 2024
Costa Rica rank
40th
South Africa rank
42nd
Share of workers in informal employment over time
- Costa Rica
- South Africa
How they compare
Costa Rica currently reports 36.1% against 34.8% in South Africa, a difference of 1.3%.
Across all 15 years both countries report, Costa Rica has been ahead every year.
Costa Rica ranks 40th and South Africa ranks 42nd of 82 countries.
Costa Rica has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 40.2% | 33.5% | 6.7% | Costa Rica |
| 2020s | 39.1% | 33.4% | 5.7% | Costa Rica |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of workers in informal employment, Costa Rica or South Africa?
- Costa Rica, at 36.1% against 34.8% in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in share of workers in informal employment between Costa Rica and South Africa?
- 1.3%, with Costa Rica ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and South Africa?
- 15 years are reported by both, from 2010 to 2024.
- How do Costa Rica and South Africa rank globally for share of workers in informal employment?
- Costa Rica ranks 40th 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.