Employment outside the formal sector in Cyprus
Cyprus: Employment outside the formal sector was 39.19 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment outside the formal sector in Cyprus, 2007–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, employment outside the formal sector in Cyprus stood at 39.19.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.0% on the previous year and down 32.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment outside the formal sector in Cyprus peaked at 68.31 in 2012 and was at its lowest, 34.45, in 2023.
Cyprus ranks 70th of 81 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 19 years of available data.
Employment outside the formal sector in Cyprus, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 55.24 | — |
| 2008 | 56.68 | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 51.13 | -9.8% |
| 2010 | 48.72 | -4.7% |
| 2011 | 66.38 | +36.2% |
| 2012 | 68.31 | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 58.44 | -14.4% |
| 2014 | 57.1 | -2.3% |
| 2015 | 58.3 | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 56.27 | -3.5% |
| 2017 | 58 | +3.1% |
| 2018 | 56.63 | -2.4% |
| 2019 | 62.59 | +10.5% |
| 2020 | 60.8 | -2.9% |
| 2021 | 34.86 | -42.7% |
| 2022 | 38.64 | +10.8% |
| 2023 | 34.45 | -10.8% |
| 2024 | 36.28 | +5.3% |
| 2025 | 39.19 | +8.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 54.35 | 51.13 | 56.68 | 3 |
| 2010s | 59.07 | 48.72 | 68.31 | 10 |
| 2020s | 40.7 | 34.45 | 60.8 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Cyprus
More work & labour data for Cyprus
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.3415 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.3363 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.3471 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.03 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.6588 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 1,030 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 353.01 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 631.64 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 643.71 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 1,275 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment outside the formal sector in Cyprus?
- Employment outside the formal sector in Cyprus was 39.19 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment outside the formal sector recorded in Cyprus?
- The highest recorded value was 68.31 in 2012.
- What is the lowest employment outside the formal sector recorded in Cyprus?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.45 in 2023.
- How does Cyprus rank for employment outside the formal sector?
- Cyprus ranks 70th out of 81 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment outside the formal sector rising or falling in Cyprus?
- Over the last ten years it is down 32.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Cyprus 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.