Informal employment in APEC
APEC: Informal employment was 689,346 in 2027. ▬ Flat
Informal employment in APEC, 2004–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for informal employment in APEC is 689,346, measured in 2027.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, informal employment in APEC peaked at 714,953 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 662,971, in 2020.
That places APEC 11th out of 87 groups with data for 2027, putting it in the top quarter.
Informal employment in APEC, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 708,892 | — |
| 2005 | 704,710 | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 710,476 | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 712,938 | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 713,840 | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 714,017 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 714,953 | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 714,551 | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 714,649 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 705,337 | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 704,247 | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 698,683 | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 695,046 | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 691,824 | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 687,897 | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 685,700 | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 662,971 | -3.3% |
| 2021 | 688,859 | +3.9% |
| 2022 | 683,255 | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 691,016 | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 690,457 | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 692,138 | +0.2% |
| 2026 | 690,972 | -0.2% |
| 2027 | 689,346 | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 710,812 | 704,710 | 714,017 | 6 |
| 2010s | 701,289 | 685,700 | 714,953 | 10 |
| 2020s | 686,127 | 662,971 | 692,138 | 8 |
More work & labour data for APEC
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 906,140 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 1.60 million (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 63.86 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.2228 % change on previous year (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.54 % change on previous year (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 41,946 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 67,067 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 61.39 (2027)
- Employment 1.53 million (2025)
- Employment (ILO modelled estimates) 1.53 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is informal employment in APEC?
- Informal employment in APEC was 689,346 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest informal employment recorded in APEC?
- The highest recorded value was 714,953 in 2010.
- What is the lowest informal employment recorded in APEC?
- The lowest recorded value was 662,971 in 2020.
- How does APEC rank for informal employment?
- APEC ranks 11th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
- Is informal employment rising or falling in APEC?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this APEC 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.