Employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Belgium

Belgium: Employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition - ICLS19) was 130.93 in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
130.93
Change on year
down 26.3%
World rank
31st
of 46 countries
All-time high
244.63
in 2014
All-time low
126.63
in 2016
Years of data
12
2014–2025

Employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Belgium, 2014–2025

0501001502002502014201920252014: 244.62015: 148.72016: 126.62017: 177.62018: 188.92019: 1532020: 130.22021: 144.22022: 1272023: 175.32024: 177.72025: 130.9

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2025, employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition - icls19) in Belgium stood at 130.93.

The figure is down 26.3% on the previous year and down 11.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition - icls19) in Belgium peaked at 244.63 in 2014 and was at its lowest, 126.63, in 2016.

Belgium ranks 31st of 46 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.

Employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Belgium, year by year

Annual values for Employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+) in Belgium, 2014 to 2025.
Year Value Change
2014 244.63
2015 148.68 -39.2%
2016 126.63 -14.8%
2017 177.59 +40.2%
2018 188.9 +6.4%
2019 153.03 -19.0%
2020 130.2 -14.9%
2021 144.18 +10.7%
2022 127.01 -11.9%
2023 175.35 +38.1%
2024 177.68 +1.3%
2025 130.93 -26.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 173.24 126.63 244.63 6
2020s 147.56 127.01 177.68 6

Countries ranked near Belgium

  1. 28 Sweden 148.16 compare
  2. 29 Slovakia 143.64 compare
  3. 30 Guyana 138.65 compare
  4. 32 Bulgaria 124.3 compare
  5. 33 Republic of Moldova 107.04 compare
  6. 34 Switzerland 95.86 compare

See the full ranking of 46 places →

More work & labour data for Belgium

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition - icls19) in Belgium?
Employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition - icls19) in Belgium was 130.93 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition - icls19) recorded in Belgium?
The highest recorded value was 244.63 in 2014.
What is the lowest employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition - icls19) recorded in Belgium?
The lowest recorded value was 126.63 in 2016.
How does Belgium rank for employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition - icls19)?
Belgium ranks 31st out of 46 countries with data for 2025.
Is employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition - icls19) rising or falling in Belgium?
Over the last ten years it is down 11.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Belgium data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Belgium. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/employment-outside-the-formal-sector-current-ilo-definition-icls19-15/belgium/

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About this data

Indicator
Employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
46 places, 456 data points, 2014–2025
Last refreshed

With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series includes only countries for which the 19th ICLS definitions are applied. This harmonized series for employment outside the formal sector is derived using the same set of criteria across countries to improve comparability. The criteria used are based on employment status, institutional sector, destination of production, bookkeeping, registration, social security contribution, places of work and size. For more information, refer to the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database description.