Employment outside the formal sector in India
India: Employment outside the formal sector was 380,944 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment outside the formal sector in India, 2010–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for employment outside the formal sector in India is 380,944, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.9% on the previous year and up 36.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment outside the formal sector in India peaked at 392,198 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 279,002, in 2018.
That places India 1st out of 81 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
Employment outside the formal sector in India, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 318,393 | — |
| 2018 | 279,002 | -12.4% |
| 2019 | 305,519 | +9.5% |
| 2020 | 316,300 | +3.5% |
| 2021 | 331,307 | +4.7% |
| 2022 | 364,159 | +9.9% |
| 2023 | 384,894 | +5.7% |
| 2024 | 392,198 | +1.9% |
| 2025 | 380,944 | -2.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 300,971 | 279,002 | 318,393 | 3 |
| 2020s | 361,634 | 316,300 | 392,198 | 6 |
Countries ranked near India
More work & labour data for India
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.5076 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.5076 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.5078 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.12 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.47 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 876,613 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 782,365 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 743,542 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 761,710 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 1.51 million 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment outside the formal sector in India?
- Employment outside the formal sector in India was 380,944 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment outside the formal sector recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 392,198 in 2024.
- What is the lowest employment outside the formal sector recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 279,002 in 2018.
- How does India rank for employment outside the formal sector?
- India ranks 1st out of 81 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment outside the formal sector rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 36.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India 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.