Informal employment in Uruguay
Uruguay: Informal employment was 31.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Informal employment in Uruguay, 2019–2025
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 Uruguay is 31.3%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.
The figure is up 15.2% on the previous year and up 33.0% over ten years.
That places Uruguay 12th out of 45 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
Informal employment in Uruguay, year by year
| Year | % of total non-agricultural employment | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 23.5% | — |
| 2020 | 20.7% | -12.2% |
| 2021 | 20.7% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 21.4% | +3.1% |
| 2023 | 30.0% | +40.4% |
| 2024 | 27.2% | -9.5% |
| 2025 | 31.3% | +15.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 23.5% | 23.5% | 23.5% | 1 |
| 2020s | 25.2% | 20.7% | 31.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Uruguay
More work & labour data for Uruguay
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -1.02 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -1 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -1.03 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.72 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.0269 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 3,567 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 95.27 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 1,144 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 1,102 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 2,246 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is informal employment in Uruguay?
- Informal employment in Uruguay was 31.3% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest informal employment recorded in Uruguay?
- The highest recorded value was 31.3% in 2025.
- What is the lowest informal employment recorded in Uruguay?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.7% in 2020.
- How does Uruguay rank for informal employment?
- Uruguay ranks 12th out of 45 countries with data for 2025.
- Is informal employment rising or falling in Uruguay?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Uruguay 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).