Informal employment in Africa: Lower-middle income
Africa: Lower-middle income: Informal employment was 274,824 in 2027. ▲ Rising
Informal employment in Africa: Lower-middle income, 2004–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for informal employment in Africa: Lower-middle income is 274,824, measured in 2027. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is up 2.4% on the previous year and up 32.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, informal employment in Africa: Lower-middle income peaked at 274,824 in 2027 and was at its lowest, 153,846, in 2004.
Africa: Lower-middle income ranks 20th of 87 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Informal employment in Africa: Lower-middle income, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 153,846 | — |
| 2005 | 157,796 | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 162,291 | +2.8% |
| 2007 | 166,890 | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 170,713 | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 174,073 | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 178,021 | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 181,255 | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 184,129 | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 189,538 | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 193,614 | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 197,658 | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 202,809 | +2.6% |
| 2017 | 206,956 | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 211,357 | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 216,343 | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 218,510 | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 229,896 | +5.2% |
| 2022 | 239,308 | +4.1% |
| 2023 | 250,236 | +4.6% |
| 2024 | 255,809 | +2.2% |
| 2025 | 261,806 | +2.3% |
| 2026 | 268,268 | +2.5% |
| 2027 | 274,824 | +2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 164,268 | 153,846 | 174,073 | 6 |
| 2010s | 196,168 | 178,021 | 216,343 | 10 |
| 2020s | 249,832 | 218,510 | 274,824 | 8 |
More work & labour data for Africa: Lower-middle income
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 339,672 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 172,199 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 66.36 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 20,026 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 2.71 % change on previous year (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 63.04 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 6,484 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 2.69 % change on previous year (2027)
- Employment (ILO modelled estimates) 306,061 (2025)
- Employment 306,061 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is informal employment in Africa: Lower-middle income?
- Informal employment in Africa: Lower-middle income was 274,824 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest informal employment recorded in Africa: Lower-middle income?
- The highest recorded value was 274,824 in 2027.
- What is the lowest informal employment recorded in Africa: Lower-middle income?
- The lowest recorded value was 153,846 in 2004.
- How does Africa: Lower-middle income rank for informal employment?
- Africa: Lower-middle income ranks 20th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
- Is informal employment rising or falling in Africa: Lower-middle income?
- Over the last ten years it is up 32.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Africa: Lower-middle income data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Informal employment (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. Informal employment comprises persons who in their main or secondary jobs were (a) own-account workers, employers and members of producers' cooperatives employed in their own informal sector enterprises; (b) own-account workers engaged in the production of goods exclusively for own final use by their household (e.g. subsistence farming); (c) contributing family workers, regardless of whether they work in formal or informal sector enterprises; or (d) employees holding informal jobs, whether employed by formal sector enterprises, informal sector enterprises, or as paid domestic workers by households. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.