Informal employment in Eastern Europe

Eastern Europe: Informal employment was 20,241 in 2027. ▬ Flat

Latest (2027)
20,241
Change on year
down 1.5%
Rank
52nd
of 87 groups
All-time high
23,317
in 2016
All-time low
19,319
in 2023
Years of data
24
2004–2027

Informal employment in Eastern Europe, 2004–2027

05.0k10.0k15.0k20.0k25.0k2004201520272004: 20.3k2005: 20.5k2006: 20.5k2007: 20.9k2008: 20.3k2009: 19.9k2010: 20.3k2011: 21.6k2012: 22.3k2013: 22.8k2014: 23.0k2015: 23.1k2016: 23.3k2017: 22.3k2018: 22.3k2019: 22.0k2020: 21.1k2021: 21.8k2022: 20.1k2023: 19.3k2024: 21.0k2025: 20.9k2026: 20.6k2027: 20.2k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

The most recent figure for informal employment in Eastern Europe is 20,241, measured in 2027.

That represents a change of down 1.5% on the previous year and down 9.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, informal employment in Eastern Europe peaked at 23,317 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 19,319, in 2023.

That places Eastern Europe 52nd out of 87 groups with data for 2027, putting it in the middle of the range.

Informal employment in Eastern Europe, year by year

Annual values for Informal employment (ILO modelled estimates) in Eastern Europe, 2004 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2004 20,275 —
2005 20,457 +0.9%
2006 20,512 +0.3%
2007 20,897 +1.9%
2008 20,332 -2.7%
2009 19,913 -2.1%
2010 20,314 +2.0%
2011 21,570 +6.2%
2012 22,257 +3.2%
2013 22,761 +2.3%
2014 23,031 +1.2%
2015 23,096 +0.3%
2016 23,317 +1.0%
2017 22,325 -4.3%
2018 22,324 -0.0%
2019 22,042 -1.3%
2020 21,084 -4.3%
2021 21,767 +3.2%
2022 20,058 -7.9%
2023 19,319 -3.7%
2024 21,018 +8.8%
2025 20,873 -0.7%
2026 20,553 -1.5%
2027 20,241 -1.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 20,397 19,913 20,897 6
2010s 22,304 20,314 23,317 10
2020s 20,614 19,319 21,767 8

More work & labour data for Eastern Europe

All data for Eastern Europe →

Frequently asked questions

What is informal employment in Eastern Europe?
Informal employment in Eastern Europe was 20,241 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest informal employment recorded in Eastern Europe?
The highest recorded value was 23,317 in 2016.
What is the lowest informal employment recorded in Eastern Europe?
The lowest recorded value was 19,319 in 2023.
How does Eastern Europe rank for informal employment?
Eastern Europe ranks 52nd out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
Is informal employment rising or falling in Eastern Europe?
Over the last ten years it is down 9.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Eastern Europe 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.

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Informal employment in Eastern Europe. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 27 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/informal-employment-ilo-modelled-estimates/eastern-europe/

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About this data

Indicator
Informal employment (ILO modelled estimates)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
87 places, 2,088 data points, 2004–2027
Last refreshed

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.