Employment outside the formal sector in Ireland
Ireland: Employment outside the formal sector was 95.37 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment outside the formal sector in Ireland, 2007–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for employment outside the formal sector in Ireland is 95.37, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 17.3% on the previous year and up 12.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment outside the formal sector in Ireland peaked at 169.53 in 2007 and was at its lowest, 44.67, in 2020.
That places Ireland 65th out of 81 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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 Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 169.53 | — |
| 2008 | 152.98 | -9.8% |
| 2009 | 109.4 | -28.5% |
| 2010 | 155.45 | +42.1% |
| 2011 | 129.35 | -16.8% |
| 2012 | 48.81 | -62.3% |
| 2013 | 78.12 | +60.0% |
| 2014 | 115.23 | +47.5% |
| 2015 | 84.93 | -26.3% |
| 2016 | 82.88 | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 83.89 | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 88.25 | +5.2% |
| 2019 | 50.25 | -43.1% |
| 2020 | 44.67 | -11.1% |
| 2021 | 50.38 | +12.8% |
| 2022 | 76.23 | +51.3% |
| 2023 | 86.88 | +14.0% |
| 2024 | 115.36 | +32.8% |
| 2025 | 95.37 | -17.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 143.97 | 109.4 | 169.53 | 3 |
| 2010s | 91.72 | 48.81 | 155.45 | 10 |
| 2020s | 78.15 | 44.67 | 115.36 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More work & labour data for Ireland
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.4488 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.4574 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.4405 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.23 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.9335 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 4,354 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,447 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,638 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,649 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 5,286 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment outside the formal sector in Ireland?
- Employment outside the formal sector in Ireland was 95.37 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment outside the formal sector recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 169.53 in 2007.
- What is the lowest employment outside the formal sector recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.67 in 2020.
- How does Ireland rank for employment outside the formal sector?
- Ireland ranks 65th out of 81 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment outside the formal sector rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland 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.
Download this data
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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.