Employment outside the formal sector in Colombia
Colombia: Employment outside the formal sector was 11,146 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Employment outside the formal sector in Colombia, 2007–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for employment outside the formal sector in Colombia is 11,146, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 2.4% on the previous year and down 9.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment outside the formal sector in Colombia peaked at 12,511 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 10,437, in 2007.
That places Colombia 14th out of 81 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
Employment outside the formal sector in Colombia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 10,437 | — |
| 2008 | 10,806 | +3.5% |
| 2009 | 11,791 | +9.1% |
| 2010 | 11,868 | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 12,142 | +2.3% |
| 2012 | 12,426 | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 12,203 | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 12,155 | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 12,367 | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 12,258 | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 12,379 | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 12,511 | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 12,395 | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 12,414 | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 10,801 | -13.0% |
| 2023 | 10,846 | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 10,888 | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 11,146 | +2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 11,012 | 10,437 | 11,791 | 3 |
| 2010s | 12,270 | 11,868 | 12,511 | 10 |
| 2020s | 11,219 | 10,801 | 12,414 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Colombia
More work & labour data for Colombia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.7218 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.6981 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.7453 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.81 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.1417 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 48,629 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 6,104 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 23,624 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 23,456 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 47,081 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment outside the formal sector in Colombia?
- Employment outside the formal sector in Colombia was 11,146 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment outside the formal sector recorded in Colombia?
- The highest recorded value was 12,511 in 2018.
- What is the lowest employment outside the formal sector recorded in Colombia?
- The lowest recorded value was 10,437 in 2007.
- How does Colombia rank for employment outside the formal sector?
- Colombia ranks 14th out of 81 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment outside the formal sector rising or falling in Colombia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Colombia data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Employment outside the formal sector (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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. Data disaggregated by occupation are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO). Data may have been regrouped from the national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISCO. For more information, refer to the Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.