Informal employment in Estonia
Estonia: Informal employment was 5.6% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Informal employment in Estonia, 2014–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO). Measured in % of total non-agricultural employment.
Analysis
Estonia recorded 5.6% for informal employment in 2024.
The figure is down 13.3% on the previous year and up 198.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, informal employment in Estonia peaked at 8.4% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0.8%, in 2018.
That places Estonia 27th out of 45 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Informal employment in Estonia, year by year
| Year | % of total non-agricultural employment | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 1.9% | — |
| 2015 | 2.3% | +21.1% |
| 2016 | 2.1% | -8.6% |
| 2017 | 1.8% | -10.5% |
| 2018 | 0.8% | -56.5% |
| 2019 | 2.2% | +169.7% |
| 2020 | 2.4% | +8.7% |
| 2021 | 8.4% | +259.4% |
| 2022 | 7.9% | -6.2% |
| 2023 | 6.4% | -19.0% |
| 2024 | 5.6% | -13.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 1.8% | 0.8% | 2.3% | 6 |
| 2020s | 6.1% | 2.4% | 8.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Estonia
More work & labour data for Estonia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.67 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.6763 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.6638 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.77 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.1039 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 885.23 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 259.52 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 417.66 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 407.84 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 825.5 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is informal employment in Estonia?
- Informal employment in Estonia was 5.6% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest informal employment recorded in Estonia?
- The highest recorded value was 8.4% in 2021.
- What is the lowest informal employment recorded in Estonia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.8% in 2018.
- How does Estonia rank for informal employment?
- Estonia ranks 27th out of 45 countries with data for 2024.
- Is informal employment rising or falling in Estonia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 198.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Estonia data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Informal employment (% of total non-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 non-agricultural activities out of total employment in non-agricultural activities, expressed as a percentage. Informal employment comprises workers 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).