Informal employment (% of total non-agricultural employment) in Russia
Russia: Informal employment (% of total non-agricultural employment) was 17.7% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Informal employment in Russia, 2014–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO). Measured in % of total non-agricultural employment.
Analysis
The most recent figure for informal employment in Russia is 17.7%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 1.8% on the previous year and up 7.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, informal employment in Russia peaked at 18.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 15.6%, in 2023.
Russia ranks 18th of 45 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Informal employment (% of total non-agricultural employment) in Russia, year by year
| Year | % of total non-agricultural employment | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 16.1% | — |
| 2015 | 16.4% | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 16.7% | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 16.8% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 17.0% | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 17.4% | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 16.9% | -2.9% |
| 2021 | 17.4% | +2.7% |
| 2022 | 15.8% | -9.2% |
| 2023 | 15.6% | -0.9% |
| 2024 | 18.0% | +15.1% |
| 2025 | 17.7% | -1.8% |
Russia compared with similar countries
- Russia's 17.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.7%, 3.8× the median. (31 countries reporting)
- Russia's 17.7% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 4.7%, 3.8× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 16.7% | 16.1% | 17.4% | 6 |
| 2020s | 16.9% | 15.6% | 18.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Russia
More work & labour data for Russia
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 48,131 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 59.78 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 71,526 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 1.83 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.04 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 89,043 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 23,578 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 58.68 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.81 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate -0.8326 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is informal employment in Russia?
- Informal employment in Russia was 17.7% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest informal employment recorded in Russia?
- The highest recorded value was 18.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest informal employment recorded in Russia?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.6% in 2023.
- How does Russia rank for informal employment?
- Russia ranks 18th out of 45 countries with data for 2025.
- Is informal employment rising or falling in Russia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Russia 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).