Informal employment in Estonia
Estonia: Informal employment was 34.88 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Informal employment in Estonia, 2007–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Estonia recorded 34.88 for informal employment in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.3% on the previous year and up 126.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, informal employment in Estonia peaked at 50.32 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 5.76, in 2018.
Estonia ranks 73rd of 81 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 Estonia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 25.13 | — |
| 2008 | 14.12 | -43.8% |
| 2009 | 9.62 | -31.9% |
| 2010 | 11.33 | +17.8% |
| 2011 | 13.43 | +18.6% |
| 2012 | 13.61 | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 8.4 | -38.3% |
| 2014 | 13.18 | +57.0% |
| 2015 | 15.41 | +16.9% |
| 2016 | 13.66 | -11.4% |
| 2017 | 12.78 | -6.5% |
| 2018 | 5.76 | -54.9% |
| 2019 | 14.89 | +158.4% |
| 2020 | 15.45 | +3.8% |
| 2021 | 50.32 | +225.6% |
| 2022 | 47.2 | -6.2% |
| 2023 | 40.49 | -14.2% |
| 2024 | 36.08 | -10.9% |
| 2025 | 34.88 | -3.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 16.29 | 9.62 | 25.13 | 3 |
| 2010s | 12.24 | 5.76 | 15.41 | 10 |
| 2020s | 37.4 | 15.45 | 50.32 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Estonia
- 70 Switzerland 49.1 compare
- 71 Brunei Darussalam 47.7 compare
- 72 Hungary 37.73 compare
- 74 Finland 34.62 compare
- 75 Slovenia 31.38 compare
- 76 Saint Lucia 29.4 compare
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 34.88 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest informal employment recorded in Estonia?
- The highest recorded value was 50.32 in 2021.
- What is the lowest informal employment recorded in Estonia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.76 in 2018.
- How does Estonia rank for informal employment?
- Estonia ranks 73rd out of 81 countries with data for 2025.
- Is informal employment rising or falling in Estonia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 126.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Estonia data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Informal employment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. This harmonized series for informal employment is derived using the same set of criteria across countries to improve comparability. The criteria used are based on employment status, institutional sector, destination of production, bookkeeping, registration, social security contribution, places of work and size. Data disaggregated by occupation are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO). Data may have been regrouped from the national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISCO. For more information, refer to the Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.