Informal employment in Latin America and the Caribbean
Latin America and the Caribbean: Informal employment was 160,645 in 2027. ▲ Rising
Informal employment in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2004–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Latin America and the Caribbean recorded 160,645 for informal employment in 2027. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 11.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, informal employment in Latin America and the Caribbean peaked at 160,645 in 2027 and was at its lowest, 123,092, in 2004.
Latin America and the Caribbean ranks 31st of 87 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Informal employment in Latin America and the Caribbean, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 123,092 | — |
| 2005 | 125,534 | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 127,020 | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 127,463 | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 128,786 | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 130,456 | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 132,095 | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 133,748 | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 136,557 | +2.1% |
| 2013 | 136,766 | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 137,294 | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 139,725 | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 140,018 | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 143,833 | +2.7% |
| 2018 | 146,852 | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 148,933 | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 134,821 | -9.5% |
| 2021 | 147,404 | +9.3% |
| 2022 | 152,560 | +3.5% |
| 2023 | 153,882 | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 155,574 | +1.1% |
| 2025 | 157,411 | +1.2% |
| 2026 | 159,167 | +1.1% |
| 2027 | 160,645 | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 127,058 | 123,092 | 130,456 | 6 |
| 2010s | 139,582 | 132,095 | 148,933 | 10 |
| 2020s | 152,683 | 134,821 | 160,645 | 8 |
More work & labour data for Latin America and the Caribbean
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 198,545 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 62.53 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 331,299 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.9209 % change on previous year (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 59.34 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.34 % change on previous year (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 44,022 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 20,218 (2027)
- Employment (ILO modelled estimates) 307,384 (2025)
- Employment 307,384 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is informal employment in Latin America and the Caribbean?
- Informal employment in Latin America and the Caribbean was 160,645 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest informal employment recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 160,645 in 2027.
- What is the lowest informal employment recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 123,092 in 2004.
- How does Latin America and the Caribbean rank for informal employment?
- Latin America and the Caribbean ranks 31st out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
- Is informal employment rising or falling in Latin America and the Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Latin America and the Caribbean 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.