Employment outside the formal sector (previous ILO definition) in Thailand

Thailand: Employment outside the formal sector (previous ILO definition) was 18,727 in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
18,727
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
8th
of 44 countries
All-time high
22,121
in 2014
All-time low
16,740
in 2020
Years of data
10
2014–2024

Employment outside the formal sector (previous ILO definition) in Thailand, 2014–2024

05.0k10.0k15.0k20.0k2014201920242014: 22.1k2015: 21.4k2016: 21.3k2017: 19.2k2018: 17.8k2020: 16.7k2021: 17.4k2022: 19.1k2023: 18.8k2024: 18.7k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

The most recent figure for employment outside the formal sector (previous ilo definition) in Thailand is 18,727, measured in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 15.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, employment outside the formal sector (previous ilo definition) in Thailand peaked at 22,121 in 2014 and was at its lowest, 16,740, in 2020.

That places Thailand 8th out of 44 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 10 years of available data.

Employment outside the formal sector (previous ILO definition) in Thailand, year by year

Annual values for Employment outside the formal sector (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+) in Thailand, 2014 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2014 22,121
2015 21,412 -3.2%
2016 21,317 -0.4%
2017 19,155 -10.1%
2018 17,814 -7.0%
2020 16,740 -6.0%
2021 17,428 +4.1%
2022 19,143 +9.8%
2023 18,776 -1.9%
2024 18,727 -0.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 20,364 17,814 22,121 5
2020s 18,163 16,740 19,143 5

Countries ranked near Thailand

  1. 5 Viet Nam 34,282 compare
  2. 6 Mexico 29,009 compare
  3. 7 Egypt 22,172 compare
  4. 9 Uganda 16,788 compare
  5. 10 Myanmar 14,990 compare
  6. 11 Angola 11,270 compare

See the full ranking of 44 places →

More work & labour data for Thailand

All data for Thailand →

Frequently asked questions

What is employment outside the formal sector (previous ilo definition) in Thailand?
Employment outside the formal sector (previous ilo definition) in Thailand was 18,727 in 2024, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest employment outside the formal sector (previous ilo definition) recorded in Thailand?
The highest recorded value was 22,121 in 2014.
What is the lowest employment outside the formal sector (previous ilo definition) recorded in Thailand?
The lowest recorded value was 16,740 in 2020.
How does Thailand rank for employment outside the formal sector (previous ilo definition)?
Thailand ranks 8th out of 44 countries with data for 2024.
Is employment outside the formal sector (previous ilo definition) rising or falling in Thailand?
Over the last ten years it is down 15.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Thailand data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Employment outside the formal sector (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Employment outside the formal sector (previous ILO definition) in Thailand. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/employment-outside-the-formal-sector-previous-ilo-definition-icls13-15/thailand/

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About this data

Indicator
Employment outside the formal sector (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
44 places, 449 data points, 2004–2026
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 is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. 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 Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.