Informal employment in Netherlands
Netherlands: Informal employment was 9.9% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Informal employment in Netherlands, 2014–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO). Measured in % of total agricultural employment.
Analysis
The most recent figure for informal employment in Netherlands is 9.9%, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 25.6% on the previous year and down 79.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, informal employment in Netherlands peaked at 52.1% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 7.9%, in 2023.
Netherlands ranks 35th of 44 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Informal employment in Netherlands, year by year
| Year | % of total agricultural employment | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 48.9% | — |
| 2015 | 52.1% | +6.5% |
| 2016 | 41.8% | -19.8% |
| 2017 | 39.1% | -6.2% |
| 2018 | 34.3% | -12.5% |
| 2019 | 37.0% | +7.9% |
| 2020 | 33.4% | -9.6% |
| 2021 | 9.2% | -72.4% |
| 2022 | 8.3% | -10.3% |
| 2023 | 7.9% | -4.9% |
| 2024 | 9.9% | +25.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 42.2% | 34.3% | 52.1% | 6 |
| 2020s | 13.7% | 7.9% | 33.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Netherlands
More work & labour data for Netherlands
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 5,256 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 66.71 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 10,535 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 4.03 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 0.834 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 130,584 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 94,797 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 64.03 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.4 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.1112 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is informal employment in Netherlands?
- Informal employment in Netherlands was 9.9% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest informal employment recorded in Netherlands?
- The highest recorded value was 52.1% in 2015.
- What is the lowest informal employment recorded in Netherlands?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.9% in 2023.
- How does Netherlands rank for informal employment?
- Netherlands ranks 35th out of 44 countries with data for 2024.
- Is informal employment rising or falling in Netherlands?
- Over the last ten years it is down 79.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Netherlands data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Informal employment (% of total agricultural employment). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
This indicator shows the share of workers at working age in informal employment in agricultural activities out of total employment in agricultural activities, expressed as a percentage. Informal employment comprises persons whose main or secondary jobs are informal. For own-account workers and employers, informality is determined by enterprise characteristics (unincorporated, market-based, and unregistered); for contributing family workers, it is determined by the absence of written contracts and lack of coverage under labor legislation; and for employees, it is determined by whether the employment relationship is not subject to national labor legislation, income taxation, or social protection. The data are based on the statistical standards adopted by the 19th International Conference of Labour Statisticians (ICLS).