Employment outside the formal sector in Norway
Norway: Employment outside the formal sector was 52.09 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment outside the formal sector in Norway, 2007–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, employment outside the formal sector in Norway stood at 52.09.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.2% on the previous year and down 60.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment outside the formal sector in Norway peaked at 154.59 in 2012 and was at its lowest, 49.49, in 2024.
Norway ranks 68th 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 Norway, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 117.21 | — |
| 2008 | 108.74 | -7.2% |
| 2009 | 114.15 | +5.0% |
| 2010 | 133.08 | +16.6% |
| 2011 | 127.18 | -4.4% |
| 2012 | 154.59 | +21.6% |
| 2013 | 134.6 | -12.9% |
| 2014 | 123.59 | -8.2% |
| 2015 | 133.38 | +7.9% |
| 2016 | 110.85 | -16.9% |
| 2017 | 115.6 | +4.3% |
| 2018 | 126.79 | +9.7% |
| 2019 | 123.27 | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 102.62 | -16.8% |
| 2021 | 130.11 | +26.8% |
| 2022 | 132.47 | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 50.94 | -61.5% |
| 2024 | 49.49 | -2.8% |
| 2025 | 52.09 | +5.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 113.37 | 108.74 | 117.21 | 3 |
| 2010s | 128.29 | 110.85 | 154.59 | 10 |
| 2020s | 86.29 | 49.49 | 132.47 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Norway
More work & labour data for Norway
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.2322 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.2413 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.2229 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.14 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.7506 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 6,138 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 663.52 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,690 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,724 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 5,414 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment outside the formal sector in Norway?
- Employment outside the formal sector in Norway was 52.09 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment outside the formal sector recorded in Norway?
- The highest recorded value was 154.59 in 2012.
- What is the lowest employment outside the formal sector recorded in Norway?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.49 in 2024.
- How does Norway rank for employment outside the formal sector?
- Norway ranks 68th out of 81 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment outside the formal sector rising or falling in Norway?
- Over the last ten years it is down 60.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Norway 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.